Nexus Connection
by Emil C
Summary: 4 people sent from Earth to another world. Their mission? To change the future of mankind. Reality? Fantasy? A dream? Who knows. But how will their lives affect the lives of the people they'll touch? How will it affect them? Will they ever return home?
1. The Beginning To The End

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia rights or any of their characters. Please support the original media.**

 **Nexus Connection**

 **Book I**

 **Chapter 1: The Beginning to The End**

 _"Sometimes what you think is an end is only a beginning. And that wouldn't do at all."_

 _― Agatha Christie, Death Comes as the End_

* * *

Everything around me was so dreary, shrouded in a thick white blanket. The shapeless forms surrounding me and the fog felt all surreal. I aimlessly walked in circles around the room I found myself in. Touching everything at the reach of my hands. As I did, I could not help to ask myself: Why was it all like that? Has it always been like this? Where was I? The last thing I remembered was falling asleep after I finished Dr. K's assignment and then, here I was. I wearily blinked my eyes to focus. I was met with a couple of clear leaden eyes looking back at me with a tender smile on his face. I now realized I wasn't alone in the room. Why did it make me feel so uncomfortable just being around his company? Who was he?

"Are you alright?" The stranger asked, placing a hand on my elbow. It was warm. Such a weird dream it was.

"Uh, yeah." I sloppily answered, trying to act like I wasn't taken back by the stranger standing next to me. "What's going on?" I smiled back at him, taking a couple of steps away from him, weary of his presence.

"What do you mean, brother?" I could almost feel my eyeballs jumping out my sockets, as I incredulously glared back at him. "It's time for the final battle!" The man became more and more suspicious by the moment.

"Hey,hey, hey!" I pulled my own body closer to his, in a faint attempt to intimidate him. Just my luck, the man's frame towered over me, making me self-conscious of my own stature. All I could do was to stare right at his chest while I processed this information and he held down his laughter.

Still, not ready to back down, I composed myself and pressed a finger to his chest in a threatening way. "First of all I'm an only child, and second of all who are you? Where are we?"

"Don't you remember? It's time to fight against _it_!" He said nonchalantly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Bring balance to the mega verse!"

Ok, I knew deep down in my heart that this _had_ to be a dream, but, wow. Of all the names in the world for me to save it was _mega verse_. And with a huge grin on my face, I cackled, "Sounds like something right off from Sailor Moon!"

"Mega verse…" I snorted again, thinking back at the ridiculous name.

"Yeah, you've said that before." The man rolled his eyes, giving me a cocky smirk. "But it was _you_ who named it." He pointed back at me, making me regret my last statement. Somehow it felt like something I would do. And the man didn't seem like the kind of person that would lie about something like that. I couldn't quite put what it was, but so far, he seemed trustworthy.

"Ok, got it." I composed myself, taking a better look at the tent I appeared to be in. "This is a dream, so what am I supposed to do? What are my powers?" I asked of the man, assuming this _brother_ was like my little tutorial aid to help me through my mission.

"Freedom! Hope! Imagination!" Very awesome limitless powers, indeed. But they somehow lacked of… substance…

"Note for myself stop watching Sailor Moon," I sighed, realizing how weak I was against whatever I was supposed to fight against. "Alright, I'll have figured it out on my own." I cracked my necked to the side and rubbed my temples.

"Gosh, Emil, you're still here? We've got to go now!" A very ravishing beauty came running inside the camp, making me blink my eyes a couple of times. Then I realized, I knew who the person was, but she looked somewhat different.

"Tory? Wow!" My eyes glued to her new prominent attributes. "You look…"

"Eyes on my face!" She pulled my face closer to her face and released my neck.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to those." I gasped for dear breath, making notice to never again stare at her that way. She was just as deadly in my dreams as she was in real life.

"Hah, yeah, anyways the others are waiting. Let's go!" The unknown man and my friend pulled me out of my trans. "O-ok…" I stuttered, taking one step to the outside world and then…

* * *

The tittering wind blowing from the A.C. in my room woke me up with a slight shudder. Apparently, my beloved roommate had decided to wake in the middle of the night and lowered the temperature to the low forties. How he managed to stay alive was beyond me, perhaps he had really thick skin or was of very warm blood. Regardless of the reason, this was not the first time he had done such an underhanded thing; all the rest of us hoped was to get over the rest of the semester in peace and with luck, get a better roommate next year.

"Oh, God, what a weird dream…" I inhaled deeply in thought as the freezing air tickled my nose, making me feel slightly nauseous. Don't get me wrong I loved the cold, but only during winter, not in the middle of April.

"I mean, at least I didn't have a weird transformation scene or anything." I tried to shrug the uncomfortable feeling by closing my eyes and focusing on the amusing dream I had that night. "Although, I wonder, how would I look?" I chuckled, picturing myself on some tight spandex jeans and gaudy outfit. _"I would never be able to see anyone with a straight face after that,"_ I laughed standing up on both feet in the middle of the room.

"Moon Crystal Power! Makeup!" I suddenly shouted from the top of my lungs, holding one of my old pencils on my left hand with the widest grin in the world. I could feel the magic emanating from within my body and for a second felt a huge weight been lifted from my shoulders.

"Cute, really cute, Emil!" I heard someone applaud from behind me. I slowly opened my eyes, having figured I had been caught in the act by my least favorite person on the floor.

"Andrew? What are you doing here?" I gasped with the best shocked expression I could muster at the moment. After all, we weren't really in the best of terms and showing any kind of hostility would just cause further friction between the two.

"I just came to ask you if you wanted to come with me and Trevor to eat breakfast," he shrugged leaning his body on the frame of my door, "but you're obviously _busy_." He snorted, looking like he had just won the lotto or something. He could gloat all he wanted with my little display for all I cared. After all, I already had plans to get even with him…

"Yeah, sorry." I lowered my head, scratching the back of my neck.

"Nah, it's cool. See ya later, bud." He waved his hands dismissively before turning his back to me. With him out of my room the heavy air oozing out of him seemed to magically banish as he slowly closed the door and I was once again alone in my room. "Oh, and next time maybe a cute tutu would make things better!" I heard him chime from outside my room as his steady steps grew further and further away.

"You're so funny!" I answered with a cheerful and innocent tone. _"You misogynistic, egocentric, backstabbing jerk!"_ The words chocked inside my throat as I tried pulling my hair off.

I hated the guy, but hating him didn't make me any better than him. I already knew I also had a rotten personality, after all, no hero of mine would act in such a crafty and fake way. It didn't matter what he had done, really. "Well, he's gone! Time for the 'stealing book' plan!"

I silently opened a crack on my door to make sure the hall was empty. After I was completely satisfied with my search, I silently and cunningly crawled from inside my room towards the living room, hiding just before the corner of the kitchen and the east hallway. Apparently, John was still asleep since his door was fasten close and the lights inside Andrew's room were bright open.

"Hello? Anybody there?" I slowly made my way to the open door, hugging the left wall of the hallway. If worse came to worse, I could argue that I just wanted to use the bathroom in his room. "How many times do I have to tell them not to leave their doors open?" I shook my head, hiding my devious smirk.

"Well, not complaining," I whispered, taking a quick look behind me before a delved inside the most anticipated room. It had been a long two weeks of planning, finally coming to fruition. Well maybe not really planning as much as harnessing the courage to do such a crazy feat; but the intoxicating idea that I could finally reclaim my property and maybe even get a couple of bucks out of that old thing drove me to this point.

I turned my head left and right, glaring at the messy room, dirty shirts on the floor, and empty bottles of beer. This was, in fact, not a surprised and rather a calculated risk that I had already foreseen. "Now if I were a disorganized jerk where would I leave the-!"

Now, _that_ was unexpected.

Right there laying underneath a pair of sweaty socks on his desk was a very familiar thick cover book, prying out just enough for its glistening golden edges to be seen. I felt all common sense leave my body as I rushed forward and snatched that book from its prison. The feeling of those edged golden symbols all around, the bright jade cover shinning its beauty back to my face…

"Hello, beautiful! How much have I missed you?" I kissed the beautiful work of art as I carefully opened it. It still smelled brand new. "It's time for you to come back to papa!"

Finally! My book was safely in my hands! And even though I had already been given another one as a gift, having back something I had bought with all my savings back in my hands made it even more precious to me. Weird. Was I really that excited my whole lower body vibrated so violently?

"Gah!" Realization hit me like a lightning as I rushed my hand into my pocket and looked back at an all too well known phone number. "Kyle! Why are you calling me now?" I violently answered in a tone both anxious and excited.

* * *

"Huh? Is that a way to greet me, Emil?" I heard the sarcastic voice of my friend answer me. He loved teasing me too much to a fault. On the bright side, when he left to study abroad I felt half relieved I wouldn't be target of so much sexual harassment anymore. "I can't believe you don't want to see me or my b-cups anymore!" He sniffed with a fake cry.

"But of course I love your b-cups, honey," I avidly answered, still under the sudden rush of adrenaline of having successfully retrieved my goods. "That's the only reason I hired you!"

"How dare you! That's sexual harassment!" Kyle growled with a very high pitched voice, probably trying to imitate a girl. Left to say, it was both hilarious and quite perturbing.

"Anyways, Kyle, what's up? How's Korea treating you?" How long had it been since he left? Who knows? Days became weeks, weeks became months. I was glad he still kept in touch after so long of a good bye.  
"Oh, totally, cool!" He chuckled nonchalantly, probably smiling from the other side of the line. He was, after all, one of the most cheerful person I had ever known in my life. "Wish you could be here!"

"I know, right?" I sighed, falling back in my depression. "I miss you, you were a standup guy!"

"Now, now, I know I am." He immediately answered with s lightly more serious tone of voice. "But you'll be fine on your own, after all the world is a funny magical place who knows when we'll ever meet again," he promised. And Kyle always fulfilled all his promises.

"I guess you're right." I dropped the book on my desk, looking up to the ceiling.

Suddenly, crazy images from dreams I had been having for the last couple of weeks came rushing into my head. And against my better judgment I braved myself and asked him. "By the way, I feel weird about asking you this but…"

"You? Afraid of asking something?" His tone as mockingly as ever. I guess it was true that I usually never hold anything back from him. He was just the kind of person you could tell anything to.

"Touché. Anyways, have you been having any _weird_ dreams lately?" Hopefully he could shed some light to my troubled heart.

"Weird dreams?" He pondered, his voice almost turning into a murmur. "Like the one where a giant kangaroo tried to kill me?" Of course, he would crack a joke. Then again, that might have been what I actually needed.

"Dude, _you_ need help. _Professional_ help." I unceremoniously snorted, almost chocking with my own saliva. Not the way a young college student wants to meet his certain death…

"Says the guy who dreams with my b-cups," he cheekily retorted in his ever cheerful tone. How much I missed him. Loners like me, well, let's just say that finding friends was hard and even harder to let them go.

"Alright, already!" I pouted, trying to keep my spirits up. Or at least, trying not to worry him. "I'll take it as a maybe."

"You can take it any way you want it." He deviously answered with one of his dirty innuendos.

"That's the way I need it," I chirped, trying to outdo him.

"What?" He quizzically answered after a small silence had passed.  
"The journey?" Still he kept silent. Maybe he didn't get it.

"No?" I heard him clicked his tongue and could clearly visualize him shaking his head in response. "A tease like always, sorry to bud, but international calls are not cheap!" He apologized, cutting the call short. Truth be told, he wasn't very good with good byes neither one of us were.

"Yeah, see you later my friend!" I chuckled, feeling something rolling down my cheeks. I had to cut it or else I would probably cause only problems to him. "Yeah, bye!"

* * *

 _Dear Gus,_

 _Today's been a good, good day! I got my gift back from him and my friend from Korea called me, Gus!_

 _I hope to hear from you soon! Don't worry about me, bye!_

* * *

"We're back!" I heard the voice of my other roommate call from inside the house.

Slowly, I closed my laptop, stealing another glance at the sent message in the monitor before closing it. So much emotional overdrive could just break me, still, I argued it was a sign that we are alive and that we are humans.

"Hello how was your day?" I greeted the duo with a forced smile as they entered the living room.

"Muy bien, Emil." Trevor shook my hand, returning my smile with one of his. He was after all a very charismatic and nonchalant guy.

"Ah, ¿hablando en español? Tratando de suavizarme, Trevor?" I smirked feeling slightly flattered by his actions. Yet, nobody really knew what went through his mind. And so, content with just stare at each other eye-to-eye, like in a Mexican standoff shooting.

"Español, si?" Trevor and I were abruptly interrupted from our little glaring competition, by the almost forgotten third man in the room.

"Si, Andrew, anyways what's up with y'all?" I sighed, trying to sound as courteous as I could. I just hated having to deal with him, then again, it couldn't be that easy for him either. To live with me, I mean.

"Nothing much. We did bump into Carrie on my way back and…" Trevor started explaining, until a bush of unruly red hair came rushing pass him and stopped in front of me.

"Hi, Emil!" She intentionally squealed with the highest pitch she could muster right next to my left ear. _"God! Shoot me now, my poor eardrums!"_

I could see Andrew chuckling behind her as he raised one arrogant eyebrow and said, "She was just _dying_ to see you, again…"

"T-that's too bad, I kind of already made plans to eat with Tory!" I lied, but I doubted Tory had any plans _if_ she was free.

"Aw, but Emil!" Carrie pouted sounded sincere, yet undoubtedly forced tone of hers. Sure, she didn't mean any harm with her teasing, but to me a bully was a bully.

"Now, now, Carrie, stop teasing Emil." Trevor grabbed his girlfriend by her hand and tenderly kissed it. "Have fun and say hi to her from me, ok?" He wisely added, giving me enough time for me to grab my jacket and escape the latter two.

"Sure!" I muttered a _thank you_ to Trevor as I rushed pass them and exited the apartment. "Bye Trevor, Carrie! ... Andrew…!" I chimed running as fast as I could down the stairs. Not the wisest of ideas, but still the odds of bumping with someone while rushing down the stairs were…

"Ouch." I groaned as my body was abruptly stopped by some unknown force.

"Oh, Emil, are you alright?" Never mind a force. Apparently it was a person.

I slowly nodded, trying to get my head straight. "Yeah, it was just a bump Jordan."

"Jason," he corrected me picking up some cloths from the floor. Struck by guilt and shame I hurriedly knelt beside him and helped him pick up his stuff.

"Right, that too." I cleared my throat, still avoiding his eyes. Still, bumping up with him was like bumping with a brick wall. " _Damn, my head still hurts."_ But what was I expecting from bumping against one of the strongest wrestlers on the team. I was lucky he didn't react out of reflect, or he could've send me straight to the hospital.

"Well, you better leave sleep walking for your house before something really serious happens to you." I saw his lips move as his voice slowly traveled to my ears. Maybe I was having a contusion.

"Sorry, it wasn't my intention to…" I chuckled, looking up to meet him eye-to-eye, it was embarrassing. Just looking back at him was like looking at a completely different world. Well, we did live a different life, but just looking at his lean and firm frame, white smile, and light green eyes. Reality check or not, we were different. Me with my thin smile, dark mahogany eyes and skinny body. I was jealous plain and simple.

"Hey, it's fine, I'm telling you this for your own sake." He placed a hand over my shoulder with a condescending tone on his voice. My blood boiled, but what could I say? He had all the advantages in this situation, whilst I just had my wits and dreams.

"Thank you, I'll keep it in mind." I regally bowed my head to him, handing over the last piece of clothing to him. I closed my eyes and as my hand touched his I wished some of his luck would be transferred to me. _"I'm so pathetic."_

"No, prob! Later dude!" He chuckled, before rushing down the hall to the laundry room. Probably to wash his clothes, again.

" _Dude…? I really need to start using more slang if I want to fit in,"_ I reminded myself as I walked outside the apartment building, never looking behind my back in fear of meeting again with Jason's haughty smile. _"Do I want to fit in? Meh…"_

* * *

Thankfully for me Tory had been given the day off after accumulating so many hours in her part-time job, or like she liked to call it: _Hell Hole._ I had to hand it to her, she was amazing! She didn't only had a job and went to school, but she actively participate in environmental protests and proposed new eco-friendly ideas to the school that actually changed the institution a lot.

"So then Jill told me that it wasn't her fault and…" She avidly described with her hands some new affair she had to deal with last Monday; her face completely entranced by the heat of the moment that she didn't noticed her fork getting caught in her unruly wavy blonde hair.

"Emil? Emil, are you even listening to me?" The girl slowly waved a hand in front of my face, bringing me back from my trail of thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, totally." I nodded, still a little shaken up by the harsh reality that nobody really cared about me either way. "Hey do you think I fit in the current society?" The question escaped my lips, little more than a whisper.

"You're funny!" I could hear her snicker, realizing she was answering my question. "It almost sounds like you're being serious there and…" I somberly rose my eyes from the floor, looking back at her with certain pain and detachment.

Finally reading the atmosphere, she stopped, looking back at me with compassion. Like that one time she found a stray puppy on the road and she just made us stop, just so she could take the poor thing to the vet. "Oh, you're being serious…."

"Ok, well, let's be honest here." She bit her lower lip, seemingly trying to find the right words to use. "You are not the most attractive guy on campus," she admitted; and though it hurt, I stayed quiet, silently agreeing with her last statement.

"Ok, you are barely handsome in a manly way. And ok, you wear clothes only my father would wear." She continued, digging me deeper and deeper inside my depression.  
"Thanks," I resentfully retorted, clicking my tongue. I knew for better or for worst I was just a sickly looking kid with few friends, living a life he never even wished for.

"But!" She pointed at me with her fork, which she apparently was able to untangle while I wasn't looking. "But you're the most sensible, sensitive, smart, honest and _cute_ guy I know!" She said, patting my hand with hers.

"And that's my problem! Cute! Not handsome or manly! Cute like a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian!" I blurted out, but the problem was deeper than that. I didn't like the feeling of my small soft hands, my hairless smooth face or my squirmy voice. Still. I could not trust people with my secrets, with my inner most demons. Could I?

"But not enough to go beyond the friend zone!" I mean, it did trouble me that I could not get any girl to notice me, but it was more of anyone actually seeing me for who I was. Who I was…

"Like I said before, Emil, I'll get you a girl one day." She promised, returning to her one-hundred percent organic meal. _"Thank God, she's not vegan on top of that…"_

"By the way," I started, getting some of my energy back, "how are things between you and Zack?" I playfully wiggled my brow as she glared back at me. For such a headstrong woman, she could be so bashful whenever it meant to talk about any romantic affairs.

"W-Who knows?" She pouted as her milky cheeks, slowly turned a light hue of pink.  
I giddily rushed to her side and hugged her while I hummed, "I can hear the bells-!"

"What?" Tory blinked her eyes.

"I can hear the bells!" I chanted again, expecting her to get it this time.

"Fine, why?" I didn't let her react as I kicked her on the knee and made a run for it. "Stupid! Don't you know not to hit a girl when she's hurt?" She growled as tears slowly rushed down her eyes. Crocodile tears, nothing more, believe me.

"Sorry, you know I believe in equality of genders!" I cackled as I left my convalescent friend laying on the ground of the café.

"Jerk!" I heard her scream from the top her lungs as she smiled back at me and waved her hand. After all, real friends know how to drive you crazy. And we both were especially good at doing exactly that!

* * *

I blinked my eyes a little bit, trying to adjust myself to the new lighting of the place. Bright neon lights hover over me as I slowly rubbed my hands on my eyes and pushed myself up from wherever I was laying. "Oh, I'm back! Awesome!" I chimed, noticing the same tent I had dreamed about just last night.

"I usually don't have sequels to my dreams unless they're pointless nonsensical premonitions from my faraway future or I eat too much cheese…" I snickered remember a couple of times really bizarre dreams of mine came to be. It was weird and sporadic, but sometimes it would happen.

"Brother? What are you babbling about?" The same young man that greeted me last time hugged me from behind, making me feel uncomfortable, yet again.

"Oh, you." But this time as I turned around, I took my sweet time to inspect him more thoroughly. His factions where young and amicable. His hair was fairly short and straight by nature. The only thing word noting where the blond highlights on this black-haired young man. The young man, probably in his early twenties, was tall and strong in physique. Athletic would be a better word to describe him, after all, he reminded me more of Kyle's tall figure thanks to all those years practicing basketball, rather than Jason's gargantuan muscles due to wresting. Lastly, he wore a plain light blue shirt with a white hood jacket, along with track pants, and a scarf.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere," I muttered, looking quite crossed. I felt it deep, deep inside of me that I knew who he was.

"See? He's been acting like this for a while now and our healer's not here to check on him." I finally noticed, three other figures standing next to him. Taking a better look at the people in front of me I noticed once again Tory was among them.

"Guys, it's ok!" I waved my hand smiling back at the people I expected were my allies. "This is obviously my dream and if my dreams have ever taught me something is that believing is the first step!" I pumped my fists, causing all kind of reactions from the others.

"He seems ok to me, maybe just a side effect from Her Grace's power." The man wearing glasses chuckled, taking a step towards me and ruffling with my hair.

"He'll be fine," Tory's sexy alter ego proclaimed standing right next to the man with glasses. "He got us after all…"

"Yeah, the Symphonia Knights won't wallow or lose if it's to protect an innocent's life or the lives of our friends and family!" The last one of them grinned back at me and patted my shoulder. For a second I felt the tension of the room increase as hoodie man pushed the latter's hand away from my shoulder.

The latter just ignored my self-proclaimed brother's outburst and smiled back at me. "That is our vow, right, leader?"

"Leader? Me?" I blinked in disbelief. I hated guiding people. Sure I was good at making plans and stuff, but micromanaging had never been my forte. "Ugh, fine, but just until the dream is over…"

* * *

"What a weird dream," I groaned, sluggishly dragging my feet down the hall ahead. "And what in heaven's name is a Symphonia Knight? Sounds like something from a video-game." I snickered, looking up at the cloudy morning sky. For the last couple of weeks the weather had been quite chilly and gloomy, yet the weather forecast seemed baffled as to the cause.

"In other news, the sudden change in weather pattern has been causing havoc on the East Coast and the government asks people to stay inside their houses." I could hear the living room TV on as I walked towards the dining room. The crazy weather pattern seemed to worsen by the minute; and by the look of it, it wasn't just happening here.

"Watching the news? I thought you didn't believe in the news, Andrew." I sighed, fixing myself a glass of water, before leaving for class.

The man stared emptily at t the screen, before answering in the most monotonous tone of voice, "got nothing better to do. Going to class this early?" Andrew seemed to finally acknowledge my existence as he turned his head to look back to where I stood.  
"Yes, not all of us have the luck to have all afternoon classes and barely any homework." I venomously retorted, sick and tired of his attitude. "Some of us do have to break their butts off studying for their career."

"I'm not the one that forces you to become a science major," he cynically replied.

"Nobody did, it was my choice." I snapped back at him, trying to keep a smile on my face. Losing my temper wouldn't do anyone any good.

"Then stop complaining." He turned his back at me once again, turning the volume of the television up. He was just so insufferable; I could almost picture myself strangling him.

"Good day," I huffed between gritted teeth before leaving the premises. So far my day had started on a sour note. _"At least things cannot get any worst…"_

"That idiot! I hate him! Always so self-righteous!" I made a ball with my fist, punching the air around me. "I mean, why he can't just lay his paws off me for a second!"

"Talking to yourself this time, Emil?" I suddenly heard someone chuckling to my side. Looking back to my left I noticed Jason crossing down the street with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, Jason." I gasped embarrassed. God knows for how long he'd been there watching me and my crazy antics. "Sorry, I'm just on my way to my first class. What about you?"

"Just went outside to throw out the garbage," he answered, pointing at the dumpster on the other side of the road. "I still have an hour, hour and a half tops to sleep."

"Lucky…" I sheepishly smiled, forgetting all my worries and earlier interaction with my roommate.

"Hey, see you in Chemistry." Jason patted my shoulder as he walked back the way I came from, probably on his way back to the apartment building.

"R-Right." I stuttered, not prepared for having any human interaction this early in the morning.

" _People are so weird,"_ I scratched the back of my head in desperation. " _I just wished more people were like the characters from my shows…"_

I sighed, taking in the vibrant morning breeze inside my nostrils. Talking with humans was really annoying and understanding their true feelings so complex. Hopefully some math would be able to clear my mind from any external distractions and be able to find some peace. At least that's what I hoped to do until my mobile started vibrating in a wild manner.

Looking back at the caller ID name, Emil Castagnier, I snorted. "Funny! Very funny!"

"It must be _him_! Who else knows about my hero?" I scoffed, figuring it was probably one of Andrew's poorly timed jokes. If anything his jokes were bland, tasteless, and offensive.

"Not going to fall for your game," I rejected the incoming call.

Slowly the whole weather changed from a partially cloudy sunny morning to a cloudy rainy day. At least God seemed to take pity on me and grant me some rain. I could feel the first droplets of refreshing water fall on my forehead and smiled. Things seemed to get better as I felt completely renewed.

* * *

"Good morning everyone!" Mrs. Payton, my robust Calculus teacher, chirped. "I know Calculus first thing in the morning can be a drag, but don't you agree that math is awesome?" I silently felt myself nodding to her last statement, after all, numbers made much more sense than humans could ever fandom.

All the while, people around closed their eyes, snoring their way to never land. A typical Monday morning, indeed. There were like always some of us just taking notes from the teacher's swift hand. I stiffed a chuckle, trying to keep up with her speed, albeit without any success. It was almost like her hand could travel to the speed of light, I could've even sworn that her hand moved so fast the sheer power caused the lights of the classroom too flicker a couple of times.

A couple of minutes later, the lights in the building went off and lightings started striking from outside the window. "Attention!" A loud siren started wailing.

"Attention all staff! Please proceed to stop all actions go to your emergency manuals and take your class to the basement until further notice!" The voice commanded with a sudden tremor following his announcement. Everyone suddenly stood up on their feet as they rushed towards the exit.  
"Oh, golly, I guess that's that! Classes are cancelled!" The ever cheerful math professor chuckled, blocking the exit with her own body. "But you guys can't leave, please follow me!" She signaled the increasingly impatient group of scared students.

"That is so weird! For some reason my cellphone's not working!" One of the less preoccupied girl in the group groaned, showing her cellphone to her friend next to her.

"Don't be stupid," another boy sighed, looking down on the girl. "The lightning storm is just causing some interference to the cloud."

"Yeah, that must be it!" Yet another guy from my class joined the group, showing the latter two the static screen on his laptop. "See my laptop isn't working either! Ugh, and I was in the middle of my chat with my girlfriend!"

I couldn't believe them! We all were on a situation of emergency and the only thing they could think of was pertaining their mundane little problems instead of focusing on the current situation. For all we knew -which was close to nothing- we might not even survive the night. "People…"

Humans really had it hard, huh?

The familiar movement on my back pocket brought me back from my inner thoughts, again. And to my surprise it was the same caller ID. _"This moron! Even joking at a moment like this!"_

"What?" I felt all my head throbbing as I yelled at the man on the other side of the line.

"Oh, thank God you're answering!" The man said in the most cheerful and collected tone of voice.

"Listen Andrew, I don't have the time to deal with your game!" I stopped the man before he had a chance to continue, already regretting ever answering the phone. "If you haven't noticed yet we're in a state of emergency right now."

"I know. This is the "End of Times"!" He rushed to answer with a dry tone. It almost felt sincere, if only.

I only scoffed muttering a small, "uhu…"

"Listen! I am talking seriously here! I know your favorite churro restaurant back in Mexico!" He unceremoniously pleaded, I could almost picture elusive Mr. X begging on his knees. "Your favorite color is electric blue! Even though you deny it, you would love to have a transformation sequence like in most shows. And you love watching soap operas when you're alone!" His voice unwavering as he continued his detailed list of personal information, what was I to do?

"Who are you? How do you know this things?" I was able to answer with a shaken voice the man surely seemed to know more about me than even my parents. My heart pounded deeply inside my chest, what could this be all about? Extortion?

"Does it matter? What matters is that there are people out there that need your help!" My body tensed up and I swallowed my next words, letting him finish making his peace. "Listen, I don't have the time to tell you the whole story, but if you want your family and those close to you safe you'll do what I say." What was he saying? Why would he care about me and those surrounding me? Was he really just expecting me to take a leap of faith and that was it?

"Your call," he solemnly finished.

Not even a second later, with butterflies in my stomach I answered. "Tell me what to do."

"Good, I knew I could count on you." He sighed a little relieved, but nevertheless, a little unsurprised. "Alright, this is what I want you to do…"

* * *

"Mrs. Payton! May I go to the bathroom? It's just across the room." Regardless of what Mr. X was hiding, his intentions seemed pure and I hoped not to regret putting my trust in his hands.

"Oh, I don't know, you are supposed to stay here." She looked down at her contingency manual, probably making note of whether or not students were allowed to use the restroom in cases like this.

Looking at her hesitant face I realized that, if I wanted to get out of there, I would have to give her the right push. "But I thought the bathrooms were also considered safe rooms, besides you know how bad I get with my gastritis and all…"

"Ok, just don't take too long." With one of her chirpy smiles she opened the door and I rushed out of there like a bullet.

"Thanks, ma'am!" I waved my hand, running down the empty hallway.

" _After you get out of the basement, do not. I repeat, do not turn around and head for the exit doors in the back of the building. If everything works fine, you'll feel a sudden tremor just as you exit the door. I know you might want to turn around to know what just happened, so I'll tell you: The hallway to the basement has just been sealed away by rubble, but they're still fine in there. I promise you we'll rescue them later."_ His ominous words still buzzed inside my ears as I finally reached the backdoor exit.

"There's the tremor, alright." I bit my lip unsurprised, since I already knew the man was being honest. And I had placed my trust on him, I couldn't just back down. "Guys, sorry, I need to help some else…"  
"Now where is Gesner St.?" I looked down at my cellphone's GPS, trying to keep my mind busy.

A sudden light started shining from my mobile as the sound of the coming thunderstorm exacerbated and the skies clouded in a thick layer of gray, black and red. Whatever was happening seemed to be rushing my current location so with nothing else to lose I rushed down the street, hoping to escape the inevitable.

"What the-!" A lightning suddenly landed but a few meters in front of me, as did other subsequently, blocking my path. It made no sense! The chances for a lighting to strike the same place more than once so close to each other, and on top of everything, continuously? _"Remember if lightning hits you it's game over! Just hold your cellphone up and you'll be…"_

"Fine…" I walked right through the electric barrier with my eyes closed, holding my cellphone straight up with my left hand. As I slowly opened my eyes and realized what had happened I gawked in amazement at the ethereal green barrier surrounding my body. _Could it be some kind of magic shield?_ "Awesome…"

"No, no, Emil! Focus!" I slap myself as I zig-zagged down Gesner Street, opting just to avoid using my phone and simply evading getting fried by a lightning. "Save the cheerleader save the world!"

" _Take Gesner Street all the way to the Sacred Heart Hospital and turn right at the intersection. Oh, and please keep the Heroes references for after you've saved your own life,"_ The man on the other side of the line commented, from within my pocket.

"Easier said than done," I chuckled, strangely comfortable with the eluding Mr. X. "I should have never stopped doing _Insanity_!" I gasped for air, trotting down the now poorly lit street.

It was not a sight I would have personally enjoy, but between the strange series of events, my dreams, and the unknown ally I had, looking at the awe striking view in front of me felt like bizarre Picasso painting. The screams of the people around me as they ran in despair trying to cover from the lightning, two small children around the age of 5 calling for their mother as they held hands. A part of me wanted to help them, but how could I? I didn't understand anything. Besides the obvious fact that all electronic devices seemed to have failed almost at the same time. What was worst, some desperate people had already started vandalizing a gas station down the road. _"Be haste, though, you need to be at least see the Hospital from afar before the next earthquake."_

"I almost made it, somehow." I tried focusing with all my might on the task at hand, covering my hands at times from the loud thunderstorm and merciless wind howling.

Just as I turned to take my cellphone out of my pocket, I felt it. The horrible tremor and a couple seconds the most horrific screaming I had ever heard in my life. I raised my sight to see a whole two story house swallowed into the chasm opening across the street and a young woman around her forties stretching her arm towards me from inside one of the windows of the house. By the time my mind processed what was happening, I was running towards her. But it was all too late, the chasm grew ever bigger and as her body was crushed under the pressure of its own, her arm was the only thing left out there hanging out still reaching towards me. My body felt weak, I almost felt like throwing up at that very moment, but I couldn't just give up now. I had a duty to those I hold dear, I had to at least save my family. "So, where to, next?"

" _Take your left and keep running, if you were lucky you got there before the second tremor occurred. And run for it as fast as you can you'll eventually meet face to face with a giant chasm in the middle of the street. Behind the rubble close to one of the edges you will find a truck slowly being swallowed. Help the person stuck in it, if you still can't find the truck… Well, just follow the screams."_ His voice responded not louder than a whisper, and I could tell, I could tell he knew this would happen. So why didn't he say anything? I could have saved her, right? Ignoring humans, as faulty as we are, I couldn't just ignore it. And no self-proclaimed duty would make this right. I felt my lungs weight heavily inside my chest as I kept running down the crumbling streets, filled with the stanching smell of acid and the ominous clouds surrounding me. "Screams? What screa-"

The familiar scream of a woman coming from within one of the large holes on the street answered my question. I knew that voice, but where had I heard it before? _"Tory!"_

My sore muscles seemed rejuvenated with new found strength, trying to find the source of the scream. "Coming, Tory!"

As she wittedly and luckily honked her horn, I rushed forward almost leaping inside the towering abysm and found my dear friend trapped inside her old truck. The old vehicle held tightly by some fallen trees that had thankfully enough worked as a net that had kept her from being swallowed whole into the depths of the darkness. Still, effectively trapping her inside that mess.

"Help," I heard her weep from inside the truck. She sounded fine, completely out of her wits, but unharmed. I had to reach her somehow, but how could I help her? She was all the way down below and I was completely unprepared other than a couple of books inside my backpack.

"I'm right here, Tory." I tried to reassure her as my eyes darted left and right trying to find something useful for me to throw her way. Anything would do at that moment, who knew how long I had before the branches gave up. "Let me see how I can help you out!"

"Emil? What are you doing here?" I heard her sobs stop, as she pushed her head out of the driver's seat and looked up to where I was standing with what I assume was a petrified and probably meek form.

"That's how you greet the person that's risking his own life to save you?" I cheekily retorted, trying to raise both our spirits. Because, I was just not about to give up on her, I just would not allow it. That's when I noticed on top of one of the abandoned cars a long blue strip of cloth tied around with a sturdy looking rope. Perhaps used to protect the car from the rain or something?

"You're right, I'm sorry." She beamed a weakly smile my way as I rushed towards the car and untied said rope from on top of it. "I guess I'm still in a shock with all of what's going on."

"Its fine, you don't have to give me explanations." I yelled struggling to get down from the car, what could I say? I wasn't the most athletic guy. "Just, if you can, stretch your arm a little closer to me." I sighed as I walked towards a nearby water hydrant and tied one end of the rope around it and tied myself to the other end. Completely stupid, I know, but I was afraid she might have some lingering or worst injury than what I could see from where I was and she might need more help getting out of there.

Tory nodded her head, pushing her whole upper body out of the car and stretcher right arm towards me as she supported herself with her left arm on one of the branches of the trees. "Like this?"

"Yep, now at the count of three I'll pull from it." I said as I climbed down the rope with a sudden nauseating feeling in my stomach, I was afraid, so very petrified. "So get ready, ok?" What if she died? Would I die with her? Would everyone I have ever loved die as well? I loved Tory as a sister, as a friend, as a part of my past and present. But putting all my chips in stake on this action, on this very moment?

"Roger," she said, looking at me with hope and determination in those bright green eyes of hers. She trusted me, no, she has always trusted me. I grasped her hand and felt the pulsating live coming from her, the desire to live on and her faith in me.

"One." I couldn't, I wouldn't betray her. Nobody forced me to be her savior. If I did this right this moment, right this instant it was not because of everyone else in my life, it was for her.

I would save her life because it was her, just like I couldn't save the other woman, I had an obligation, and a duty to never let her sacrifice be in vain. "Two…"

"Three!" I pulled her from within the car with unnatural strength I summoned from wherever it was sleeping, and felt the weight of her body as she wrapped herself around my back.

"Stop, stop, stop!" I gawked feeling myself strangulated by her own weight and the rope tightly wrapped around my waist. "You're hurting me!"

"Oh, sorry." She leaned her body to one of the edges of the chasm and grabbed from one of the edges. That's when I noticed her right leg all mangled up as she placed most of her weight on her left and balanced herself between the edge of the chasm and me.

"Don't apologize, just give me a breather and we'll get out of here soon enough." I offered my hand anew, as she hesitantly released herself from the edge and grabbed my hand.

We were back where we started. Her, wrapped around my back, and me? Well, I tried really hard to carry this dead weight. Ok, ok, not really a "dead weight", since I could hear the soft breathing on the back of my neck. Quite annoying if I may add, and at the pace I was climbing this infernal chasm it would probably take me ten more minutes and judging by the looks of that old rope I wasn't' very sure how much longer we had.

Suddenly, I felt something shaking violently, around my lower back as I took another step up the cliff. To say I almost lost balance was an understatement, but somehow I was able to get ahold of a nearby rock and keep some sort of feeble balance as she reached inside her pocket for something. "Great who could be calling at a time like this?" was Tory's answer, and apparently the violent shaking was nothing more than his cellphone in vibrating mode. Hold on, her cellphone was working?

"Answer it," I immediately responded, catching her by surprised.

"What?" Her obvious bafflement was quite expected, but there was no time to explain he'd just have to take a leap of faith.

"Answer your phone, trust me." I gave her a little tug and a smile, hoping my hunch was right. And if it was, hopefully elusive Mr. X, would have a good idea how to get out of this mess.

"Hello?" She tentatively answered her phone. "Wait, who are you?" She let a small gasp escape her lips. Her face went blank for a second as she started to shake her head vehemently. What was he saying to her?

"How would you know?" She venomously retorted, clicking her tongue.

"Psychic, right." Tory snorted as I slowly made my way to the surface. It had been tough, I swear, specially taking on account her crazy fascination with doughnuts. Okay, fine, I love doughnuts too, but let's just say that this little adventure could have been a little easier for a wimpy fiddle stick like me if she could only keep her hands off the sweets. Then again, I could have probably hit the gym more often, but…

"Wait, how do you know that?" She almost stuttered as I pushed myself up by means of the said rope and some leverage I got from swinging us a bit. It was a little unorthodox, but in the end it worked.

"Ok, now you're starting to freak me out!" She monotonously pushed me aside, got off my back and to one corner of the devastated street. By now though, the imminent destruction of the town was ever closer; the houses where on fire, the people were in panic and utter disbelief, and from the darkest cloud on the horizon a hazy figure loomed surrounded by crimson lightings. And from wherever it passed, it let behind a trail of destruction and desolation.

"Wait, what?! No! Don't go telling anyone about that!" I came back to my senses, looking back at the crossed expression on my friend's face. She was just so engrossed in her own little world, which perhaps she had not noticed yet the state of our world, or perhaps she had decided to ignore it. Regardless, she continued, she huffed and puffed, gritted her teeth until she finally said, "Ok, fine! I'll listen to you, but only because I want to get out of here alive!"

"It's not like I believe a thing you said, though." She scoffed at whoever was on the other side of the line. Whatever the future brought our way, I couldn't stop myself, but to chuckle. Since, no matter where we were or whatever happened to us Tory would always be Tory.

* * *

After finally calming down, Tory, or rather slapping her back to reality –quite literally- I found myself with a new mission: bringing Tory back with me to my apartment where we would finally meet face to face with our curious benefactors and get a clear explanation of whatever was going on. I could not grasp the whole of it, but I feared, I feared what this could mean. I was scared that, just like the Bible says, _"And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."_ We too would perish.

I shook my head as an ominous chill crawled up my spine, but I could not give in, not so soon. After all, we had been promised a chance of survival, and I would take it. "Are you sure you can make it? Do you want me to carry you?"

"I'm fine! I think I just hurt my ankle." She winced, trying to support her own weight on her injured foot. And yet, the fear and pain reflected in her eyes pale to that which I felt at that very moment. To someone like her this was nothing more than a bad dream, or perhaps Mother Nature's capricious way of getting even for our wrongdoings. Don't get me wrong either, I am not that kind of beating heart believer with a fascination for self-flagellation or an evangelistic man, who preached the world The Word. But in moments like that, it was hard not to go back to those old days when I went to Catholic school. But I couldn't say anything, after all, what would I gain by opening my mouth? Other than skeptic glare from my friend and yet another barrier between me and my ticket out of this place.

"That's why I said I'll help you out!" I forcefully placed my shoulder underneath her arm, and pulled her closer to me. She flailed, again, and pouted too. But if one of the requirements to be saved was for her to be present, so help me God, I would bring her with me one way or the other. Sue me, if you think I was selfish, but I wasn't just thinking about myself at the moment. I was thinking of my mom, my dad, my friends, everyone. They depended on me, I could not afford to lose nor die, at least not until they were safe.

"I'll let you know I'm not a useless damsel in distress," she muttered under her breath, I nodded my head, she continued her bickering, "I can take care of myself." She finally stated biting her lip almost every two steps as she placed her weight on her broken ankle.

Just as we made it to the corner of an intersection, another tremor shook the dying lands and we gasped in disbelief; the streets and houses where slowly but surely completely being swallowed by the unwinding chasm where Tory once was. The loud screams and painful cries of all the other people trying to take refuge as they all disappeared on a shroud of fog; ashes and lightning were all that was left of them, still ringing. Begging for help. It buzzed inside our ears like a horde of bees as we left them all behind in our quest for self-preservation. "Did you see that?" Her knees slightly gave in. She wanted, no, we wanted to go back. But, what could we do? Was this perhaps our twisted way to remind ourselves that this was indeed real? Not a dream? Talking about it like we were having just another afternoon chat?

"Yes," I whispered in a broken voice, trying so hard not to look back, like the voice in the phone told me to. "All those people…"

"Here, let's get out of here." Tory handed me a handkerchief with a small frog embroidered.

"Yeah." I weakly smiled, as we made our solemn way to that little glimpse of hope we still held tightly deep in our hearts.

As we slowly made our way back to the apartment complex, we found some solace under one of the only buildings still standing to catch our breathe. But catching our breathe at that moment was far more challenging that it seemed like, after all, the air all around us had a rancid sulfurous kick to it that made our throats cringe every time we inhaled. Thankfully for me, I had packed my favorite scarf in my backpack, and though not fool proof it would keep me from fainting from this smell. Yet, as I saw Tory coughing as she fought to stay afoot by holding a nearby column, I decided against my better judgment to hand it over to her.

With a silent exchange of eyes, I handed over my scarf, she smiled back at me. Undoubtedly, in normal circumstances she would have declined my offer, but… "Hey, do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Nope, I just know what the man on the phone said." I sighed, looking at the ruined street in front of us. There was no doubt about it: The world was ending, and for some reason I was at peace. "He told me to rescue you and take you back to my apartment." Maybe it was because I wasn't all alone anymore, maybe it was because like any good story there had to be an end. I didn't really know, I just wanted to see my family again.

"Man? Wasn't it a woman?" Her last comment shook me from my thoughts as I turned to her and listened to her every word. "At least it was a _woman_ in my case. She was so demanding, I swear. She just told me to trust your better judgment and _believe in the power of love_."

"Wow, that's so…" I couldn't help but to blush slightly at her words, it was a really cheesy thing to say, but looking at the crud reality. Maybe, just maybe, spreading a little love wasn't out of the picture.

"Yeah, I know what an airhead!" Then again, it was Tory we were talking about. Ms. "Logic and Emotion cannot be mixed just like Work and Pleasure". I sometimes wondered how she could even be in a relationship with her utter disregard of the human heart and soul.

My thoughts, were again disturbed by the overpowering howling of the skies above, and the sudden darkening of the already foggy atmosphere. "Hey, is it me or the sky suddenly turned dark and…red…"

"I wish it was just you," she said, trying to sound as calmed and collected as she could. Of course, I could see her knees shaking and her left hand forming a fist. "This really doesn't look good."

"Tory, I'm scared." I felt my own body failing me. I couldn't do it, be the hero, I knew she was just as scared as I was, but I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to rescue her. I just wanted to escape. Then again, there was no place to run to. I was all alone.

"Don't overthink things, Emil." A gentle hand wrapped itself around me, as Tory smiled back at me. "We'll get through this! You'll see your parents again and I'll meet with Zack!" She's right, I wasn't alone, and she was plenty strong on her own. And together there was nothing we couldn't do.

"Thanks, I really needed that." I lowered myself enough for her to wrap her arm around me and start our slow journey back into action. We weren't giving up, not yet! After all…

"What are friends for?!" She stole the words from my mouth, or head, I guess.

"Hey, Tory, look! There it is!" I pointed at the small brick building somehow still standing in one piece down the hill we just climbed from. "We made it, Tory! We made it!" My excitement was palpable and somehow I had unconsciously started jumping up and down like a five-year-old.

"Yeah, I can see it Emil!" She coyly chuckled.

"Now stop jumping up and down, or I'll fall!" She growled, pulling me down with her two hands. For an injured girl, she sure was strong, and terrifying. I instinctively muttered an apology hoping I could appease her before she tried to do something to me. "Honestly, you always get-!"  
Another tremor shook the earth, but this time something dark and sinister could be felt coming from the new openings on the ground. Not long after that, hundreds of dreadful howls and screams of fear came in a wave around us, breaking the eerie silence that had been for better or worst our only company thus far. Arming ourselves with courage we kept on walking towards our goal, trying not to dwell much on what was happening around us.

Just as we were reaching the bottom of the hill, two dark figures rose from within the bleak shadows created by the blood tainted sky and dark thick clouds of darkness. "This is bad. This is _very_ bad!" I whispered to her ear, gaining me a pitiful look from my partner. We cautiously and hurriedly, snuggled in between some rubble and fallen trees, hoping the creature would not be able to find us. "We need to hurry and get to my place, it's the only place still standing!"

"But how are going to get there? We can't see a thing!" She hissed, pointing at the thick mist of a pale white coming from said shadowy creature. "It's already hard to see your face and you're just two feet away from me." She was right, I mean, we had been walking around the fog for a while and our eyes had slowly but surely adjusted to the lack of light. But this fog, was different, it was cold, so cold it brought chills to my very soul, thicker than tar and slightly tinted with the smell of blood. Apart of me was grateful, the rancid smell of sulfur was gone, but now we couldn't move. We were lost. So close, yet so, far away….

"I-I don't." I stuttered. I didn't know what to do! Why was she putting all her trust in me? I didn't have a clue what to do? Why did she believe in me? _"I know it's hard, but you have to promise me. Believe in the people around you! Sure they may let you down at times, but without them you wouldn't be here. So I ask of you do it for yourself, do it for them! Believe in that light, that hope and that courage you hold within your heart!"_ The last words the weird man spoke to me resounded inside my wavering heart.

"I promised." That's right I promised the man I would believe in them, in her. And if she believed in me, I _had_ to believe in myself. "And I never break a promise!" Suddenly, a bright light emanated from within my left pocket.

"My cellphone! It's shining!" I gasped as the red mist surrounding us seemed to banish, and a familiar warmth crawled his way from the tips of my hand all over my body. Instinctively, I turned the screen towards the path in front of us.

"Look! The mist! It's lifting!" Tory sighed relieved, slowly standing on her feet. Somehow, whatever I had done seemed to have worked. "And look the apartment is over there!"

"Great! We are almost there!" I hugged her, much to her surprise, I didn't care. "Thank you, Tory!"

"What did I do?" She stared back at me in a strange mix of embarrassment and bewilderment. Like when you are all alone and you start singing a love song out loud in, and suddenly you realize there was someone staring back at you the whole time.

"Gave me a reason not to give up!" I chuckled, grabbing her by her hand.

"Oh, well, you're welcome." She looked down at our linked hands and sighed. Slowly but surely we would make it to our destination.

Ominous beast cries came from every corner of the streets outside. Who knows what exactly was going on out there, regardless, everything seemed normal inside the apartment. _Too_ normal if you asked me. But then again, in the middle of such madness, it somehow made me feel at ease.

"This situation sucks! Everything is so bizarre!" I whined, taking another look outside from one of the closest windows to the lobby. After all, looking at a ruined city is a little less unsettling than not being able to see anything at all.

"Yeah, but for some reason nothing seems to be wrong here." Tory quizzically stared at the lights of the hallway. Apparently, there was electricity in the building. "Anyways, just in case let's not get close to the windows." She motioned me closer to her as she slowly climbed up the stairs to my apartment.

"I guess you're right." I sighed, turning my back from the shrouded darkness lurking just outside these walls. "But honestly, what are we supposed to do? Wait patiently for the fog to envelop us too and disappear?" I pouted, opening the door to my apartment. We sighed in relief, everything was just fine. It was just normal, exactly the same way I had left it not three hours ago. There was no noise, no growling, no screams, and definitely no mist.

"In any case, the last thing that woman told me was to wait for the next call." She sorrowfully placed her backpack on the sofa. "Whatever and whenever that might mean," she venomously added, obviously hatting the very guts of the woman who had called her. Then again, it was thanks to our 'mysterious friends' that we were alive.

"Next call, huh?" I looked down at the battery on my cellphone, 47 percent, not that good in the present situation." Well, I better get my charger in case it takes much longer." I chuckled lightly, making my way to my room.

"Wait, electricity still works?" That was indeed a good question, after all, just because the electricity in the hallway worked it didn't mean that electricity in each individual apartment worked.

"Only one way to find out," I said with a meek smile, shrugging my shoulders.

"Alright, I'll come with you." Tory deadpanned, shaking her head.

Opening the door, the familiar smell of disinfectant and mint enveloped me. My room was, well simple, I really didn't have much to be proud of. Just a small desk lamp, a poinsettia, my bed, a snowboard, a wardrobe, and a closet. I like to call myself a minimalist. Well, not really, I did have some things I was proud of. My beloved video-game consoles safely kept inside my wardrobe, as well as a stuffed dog I got from my father, and an extensive collection of scarfs and sweaters. Not as extensive as my collection of games, mind you, but it'd do.

The moment I stepped into my room, I felt my cellphone violently vibrate in my left hand as it went off ringing. Almost at the very same time, every electric apparatus in the apartment started itself on and off on its own accord. "Well, that answers our question about electricity." Tory snorted, completely unfazed.

"Hello?" The same warm voice answered me with a cheerful greet of his own. That mysterious voice made me feel so relaxed, so natural, yet there was something I couldn't put my finger on that confused me about him. "Yeah, I'll put you in speaker." I pressed the button and put him on speaker as per his request.

"Am I on speaker now?" He inquired, sounding a little fatigued. Or maybe tired.

"That you are," the brunette answered with her usual challenging tone.

"Oh, good! Hey, Tory!" The unknown voice paid not heed to her rude behavior and laughed. "How's your ankle handling all the running?"

"Eh, I've been through worst." The girl shrugged her shoulders taking a seat on my bed, without my permission, mind you. "Anyways, who are you?" She crossed her arms as I took this chance to plug my cellphone to the charger.

"Your friend!" He automatically answered with a lighthearted chuckle. "And the person who sent that guy over there to save you, so be grateful!" He added, almost sounding condescending. It was hard to make head from tails of the mysterious man, personally I found his attitude refreshing and charming. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to know what was going on and what was his true identity, but I felt that if I did, it would break the charm of the moment. Sentiment only I held, of course, since I could almost feel the palpable hatred emanating from Tory as she glared at the cellphone.

"Oh, I am, trust me." Her frigid answer nothing more than a venomous hiss, Tory was livid. "I just wish you would tell me your name, that's all." She sweetly chuckled in the most perturbing tone of voice I've heard her use in a long time.

"Ok, you can call me ' _The coordinator'_." The man on the other side of the line answered with a slight tone of mysticism. Seriously, I didn't know whether he was playing with us or being serious.

"Coordinator?" Tory snorted, whilst I wearily mumbled.

"Take it or leave it, babe!" He coolly retorted, getting the already ill-tempered girl even more riled up. "Anyways, Emil, would you be as kind as to get Jason to join us?"

"Jason? My neighbor, Jason? I thought he went to classes like me and probably got stuck somewhere else." I pondered out loud, thinking back at the small conversation I had with him earlier that day.

"Nope, he overslept." I could see my friend give me a quizzical look, probably not understanding why I didn't seem phased out at his surprising request. "As a matter in fact, I think he might still be in bed." Truth be told, a part of me wondered, it really did. But by this point, I knew that in order for me to get the answers I needed I would have to go along with what he said. Besides, I _trusted_ him, sort of…

"Even after this many earthquakes and weird phenomena going on outside?" We completely ignored Tory's constant yapping as she demanded answers and attention. It wasn't like I wanted to ignore her, but there was no time to explain things with her. So with a small apology and an exasperated sigh from her, she allowed me to leave her with the promise of explaining things to her in greater detail one I was back with Jason.

"Before you leave, please hand over your backpack to Tory." My _friend_ asked me. "And Tory, please, stay here and wait for your own call." With little else to say, I dropped my backpack on Tory's lap and made a run for the door. Hopefully the windows would be able to hold the darkness away from us for a bit longer.

* * *

"Waiting patiently for the next call," Tory scowled again, tapping her feet on the ground below her, "easier said than done!" Waiting wasn't really one of her fortes, never was. But if it was her ticket out of cuckoo land, she'd take it in the blink of an eye.  
Thankfully for her, the small digital device in her right hand started vibrating and an unknown number of sigils shined bright on the screen, almost instantly she picked up the phone. "Well, it was about damn time you called!" She berated, like she'd do with anybody that'd ever cross her.

"Don't you go and give me some attitude, girl!" The female voice on the other side of the line snapped back at her, with the same spirit as she, "or would you rather I left you here to die alone." She hated waiting, she hated people yelling back at her, but most of all she hated the person on the other side of the line. If it where her, and she had a chance to meet her face to face, she would've probably try to end her.

"Did I ever tell you how much I hate you?" The livid young girl muttered in what I'd consider a snarly howl of a wildebeest. _"Who said girls aren't scary…"_

"Never, but trust me, the feeling is mutual." The woman on the other side of the line mischievously chortled. "But before we start a pointless fight between the two of us, let's get to business."

"Ok, what do I have to do?" Tory sighed displeased, she hated it when irritating people were right. But as much as she hated the woman, she was too much of a rational person to let her ill temper cloud her priorities. Survival.

The woman kept a couple of minutes of silence, almost like a sly token of consideration to the prideful young girl, before continuing, "Just put everything in Emil's room in his backpack."

"Excuse me?" Tory blinked her eyes, not understanding what good would it do to pack any of her friend's personal belongings? Unless, they were going on a trip? A journey?

"What? You didn't hear me?" The woman conceitedly added, enjoying every bit of the show. "I asked you to put _everything_ inside his backpack."

"A whole room? How may I ask?" Tory snorted for the ump time. How many times had she lose it either by being mocked by the other voice on the line or by its supernatural ability of not making any sense?

"With my help, of course!" The woman chimed in the sweetest most girlish tone Tory had heard her use up until now, it was just disgusting to her ears. "Just point at the backpack with your cellphone's screen, I'll do the rest." The woman chuckled, bringing shivers to the brunette's spine.

* * *

"We've been trying to wake him up for about ten minutes now!" I whined, turning my head in between the cellphone in my hand and the closed door in front of me. "He's not answering the door anytime soon." I heaved, slumping my shoulders to the sides.  
"And it's time that we don't have, just look at those gruesome creatures trying to get in here." The voice pointed out, slowly I turned my head to the door to be met with hordes of indistinguishable masses of darkness all sharing one thing in common, dark crimson eyes.

I swallowed hard, biting my lips, why was it so important for me to save him? I mean, I didn't even know anything of that guy other than the fact that we shared a couple of classes together. And if we wasted too much time I would undoubtedly be killed, and everyone else that I've ever loved.

But I couldn't give up, not yet. So with a little stammering, I asked in the softest of voices, "Are, are they d-dem…"

"More than likely, yes." The voice on the other side sounded so far away, like it was pretty far away from the funicular. "We still don't know anything for certain," the man whizzed as the voice became clearer and sharper. Perhaps, he had left the cellphone away for a second?

There were so many questions unanswered, I yearned to know. Every single thing that happened thus far was a mystery. Granted, it was thanks to him that we were still alive and well. "Just how long do you think it'll take for that door to give in?" I finally asked, hoping he could at least tell me that much.

"No more than a couple more minutes." He stated in the coldest of tones. I regretted even asking that question. It was true, I just had a very twisted luck, especially during dire situations.

"Alright, I'll just have to break in!" I nervously chuckled, not believing a word coming out of my mind. And neither did the voice on the other side of the phone as he sympathetically sighed.

"I still have to try!" I yelled out loud, more to myself than the man. But I had no choice, no place to go. If I had to go, I'd go with a fight. "I'll keep at it until I get through or the monsters eat my flesh!" It'd be my final stand, or at least I thought so.

"Yeah, I can't let that happen." The voice on the other side clicked his tongue, probably even shaking his head. "Okay, magic one-o-one, close your eyes and visualize the door." He mischievously chuckled, as a sudden feeling of excitement and skepticism overflowed me.

"Wait, what?" The sudden excitement in my voice could hardly be hidden and my eyes lit with a fire long lost. "Shut up and close your eyes!" Like I a little kid in a candy shop I did as I was told, humming a sweet tune under my breath.

"Now, just imagine yourself surrounded by the cool and refreshing touch of water as you extend your left arm." I did as he said, slowly extending my arm, remembering the refreshing feeling of water on the river shore.

"Can you feel that tingly sensation at the end of your fingers?" Surprisingly enough, I felt something. It was mutable, drizzling, it overjoyed me, and well, it made my hand feel wet.

The man took my silence as a yes, and after a while continued. "Good, now, imagine that you're grabbing a handful of ice with your open palm."

"Ooh, chilly." The sudden wetness in my arm turned to a cold and solid feeling. Yet soft and warm at the same time, it reminded me of the first time I experienced snow. How I stupidly jumped into a pile of snow getting all my clothes wet as I enjoyed the moment to the fullest. I felt so alive.

"Now, remember Gray? Genis?" My mind snapped back to reality, losing all concentration of the last events. "Beg your pardon?" I growled, looking down to my cellphone with disdain.  
"Remember their determination when using their magic?" I felt my resolution grow ever stronger as I looked back at the palm of my hand, and smiled. "Yeah, the magic of creation and imagination!"

"The magic to create one world where everyone is equal!" Tears rolled down my cheeks as I muttered those words. I believed, I believed in the power to change the world.

"Exactly! Now say after me, with your eyes full hope and determination!" Like it was even necessary. Right now, I felt like I could take the world!

"Ice makes…." The man determinedly said, as I followed suit. The feeling in my hand made me violently shake. I felt power beyond my wildest imagination congregate around the palm of my had and I could even see small specs of silver, deep blue, and green shine in front of me.

"Freeze Lancer!" I yelled with all my might. A great explosion was heard as a thick cloud of frost and wood felt around me. I immediately covered my face, trying to keep myself out of harm's way.

"How did you know that was the spell?" The man on the other side of the line gasped. I slowly opened my eyes, and to my surprise and complete joy, the door that once stood in front of me was no more and a huge frozen hole covered with glittering ice was left in its stead. _"Oh, no, the school's probably going to charge me for this!"_

"I didn't! I-I just felt that was it!" I hadn't even noticed I had said those words without him, then again, I was so overjoyed while I was casting the spell that I could barely hear the man's words. "I can't believe it worked! I used magic! My lifelong dream has finally come true…"

"Yes, it did." The man empathetically chuckled, I could feel tears still escaping my eyes. "I won't stop you from being happy and I'm glad to be able to see those tears of happiness rolling down your cheek, but remember there are people out there that still need your help…"

"You are right." I sniffed, making my way inside the rubble and the snow covered living room of Jason's apartment. "How selfish of me to be happy in a moment like this." I sighed, in a mixture of bitterness and abnegation. Now was not the time to be happy, I had to get him out of his room.

* * *

"What was that loud noise?" Tory yelped at the sudden tremor that was felt from the floor below.

"Probably Emil breaking the neighbor's door," the woman said unamused.

"You say it with such a straight face -figuratively speaking- of course." She corrected herself in midsentence figuring the woman would just gloat on her for every little thing. "You scare me."

"I scare you? You scare me!" The woman on the phone snorted. The really hated each other. "By the way, nice job putting everything inside the bag."

The blonde chuckled a little, looking at the now barren room. Even the curtains of the room where gone, but… "Well, you said everything, so I put everything…"

"Even the bed! And the curtains!" The voice yelled in a mocking tone.

"Shut up! Nobody ask you!" Tory growled, looking out from the window. "Besides my brain's not working straight with those ugly looking monsters crawling outside!"

"Here, I'll send you something that'll surely calm you down." The woman said in an almost understanding and polite tone, the first time she had ever used that tone with her. Just as in cue, Tory's cellphone started vibrating, showing a new email on her inbox. "Open the mail, it's from me."

Tory just shrugged her shoulders, opening said email, and from within the cellphone screen came a huge blinding light. Before Tory could say anything, Tory's backpack materialized from thin air in front of her from within the light from the cellphone. " _That's it! Life makes no sense anymore! Screw science!"_

"I put everything inside your backpack, even your guinea pigs." The woman's words echoed inside her head as she absently nodded with her head. She was far too gone; she didn't care anymore. "And before you start freaking out, don't be. They have ample space inside that backpack, plentiful of food that I already placed for them and I healed their illnesses so you won't have to buy them any medicine…"

"Yes." Was all that escaped from her lips. For the first time in a long time Tory was speechless.

* * *

"Ok, finally got through that thing!" I scuffed, pushing through the mounds of snow covering most of the apartment's living room. "Now where's his room?"

"First on the right," The voice excitedly answered.  
"Got it!" I sped up around the hallway rushing towards the first room on the right, when I noticed. "God dang it! Another closed," I stopped in mid-sentence when I touched the door knob and…

"He forgot to lock his door." The man chuckled.

"He forgot to lock his door." I sighed in response.

"That's good, though." The man cheerfully added, trying to lift my spirits. "For now just leave me in stand-by and get him to answer his phone." He caught my attention with his last words.

"He's getting a call too?" I inquired, trying to figure this jig puzzle inside my brain.  
"Yup." The man dryly answered, perhaps he knew what I was trying to do.  
"Ok, time to creep inside another man's room and wake him up!" I snorted. In any other situation this could have been the perfect scenario for a good ol' fashion prank. But in this case…

* * *

As I entered the room I could hear the wild chiming of what I could only deduce was his cellphone's ringtone. Also, I took the liberty to look around his room; not in a creep stalker way, of course. The first thing I noticed was how ordained and clean his room was, so why was it so stinky? That's when I noticed the overflowing basket of dirty clothes and him. He hadn't washed his workout clothes and had decided to go to bed with his dirty undies on. _"So much for Mr. Clean's Room and 'I always wear cologne everywhere I go'."_

"Hey, Jason! Jason! Wake up!" I shook the slumbering young man, hoping he would wake up soon and I wouldn't have to keep touching his stinky self.

"Five more minutes, I'm sore, mom…!" he mumbled as the incessant ringing of the cellphone in the background started to drive me crazy. How could he manage to stay asleep through an explosion, evil screams from the outside and an earthquake?

"First of all, I'm not your mom." I yelled next to his ear, taking the chance to poke his nostrils. "And second of all, you are way too heavy for me to carry you, so could you please just wake up?" I bit his ear. What? I was out of options and I wasn't planning on getting eaten by a monster because of sleepy head there! So sue me for crossing the boundaries of personal space!

Jason violently woke up, pushing me out of his bed and pinning me to the floor. "Who are you?"

"Emil?" Recognition started to dawn on his face as his eyes blinked a couple of times. I just laid there awkwardly on the floor, smiling back at him. "What in bloody hell are you doing in my room?"

"Trust me, it wasn't by choice." I coughed between forced gasps of air, his tight grip still around my neck.

"Dude!" He growled back at me embarrassed, touching his ear.

"Shut up, turn around, look outside your window, and start changing!" I pulled his head to the window and pointed at the chaos outside.

Jason gasped, the phone still ringing, as all the color seemed to drain from his face. "What are those things?"

"No time to explain. Just pack only what's necessary and for God's sake answer your damn phone!" I yelled, leaving him alone inside his room to change. And wash my hands, after all, he was so nasty and sweaty. Gross.

"Fine! Hello? What?! I-I…" I could faintly hear him answering his phone. "Yes, I'll do as you say…"

" _That was quick."_ I thought, remembering how hard it was to get Tory to cooperate with the unknown woman on the phone. She didn't seem to be such a bad person, very demanding, though.

* * *

Time seemed to set still as the clock on her cellphone marked 9:33 a.m. on that fateful spring morning. The only thing left behind in the room was the tired brunette sitting on the floor with two backpacks and her laptop on the floor. "How much longer do you think it'll take them to get here?"

The bemused woman on the other side of the line chuckled, as Tory sighed for the hundredth time. "Don't worry they'll be here any minute now."

"And how do you know that?" She begrudgedly answered, looking aimlessly at the room around her. It was not like she did not trust the woman, well she didn't, but it was more of a matter of understanding the situation. It was a matter of knowing what would happen next, where would they go from there? The world they knew was over, so what else was there to do? How would they save the world?

"I'm a psychic, remember?" For some reason, she didn't growl or sighed. Tory just chuckled and smiled back at the small phone on her lap. "Psychic, right." And though her answer was no less sarcastic than before, she really hoped the woman was telling the truth. Not only for her sake, but for everyone in this world.  
"Tory! Look! He packed his whole room inside his-!" I stopped in midsentence digesting the scene in front of me. My bookshelf, clothes, collection of scarfs, bed and even the blinds where gone. "What happened to my room?"

"Backpack?" It was Jason who answered, looking back at Tory.

"Backpack." She nodded, then everything made sense. Sort of. It still did not explain why we had to pack everything in our rooms, but I would let it slide for the time being. After all, we were still in dire trouble.

"Good! You're all together!" The woman chimed, sounding sincerely pleased with herself. "Let me tell the others to call you…."

"So, what now mysterious cellphone lady?" Tory mercilessly pressured the woman on the phone, it seemed they still didn't quite get along. But before either Jason or I could say something, our cellphones started vibrating.

"Answer them and put them on speaker," she retorted with up most severity. It was scary, but somehow befitting of her, even though I did not know who she was.

"Hello! Everyone!" The kind and confident voice of the man I had spoken to before greeted us all.

"Yo!" A nonchalant and friendly voice boomed from Jason's phone.

It was all so, agreeable? Like a long get together between distant friends, I hated saying something. But looking around at the frightened face of Jason, the scowling frown of Tory, and the monsters' constant banging on the windows I had no choice. "Uh, nice cellphone people, I don't want to cut y'all short, but…"

"But we don't know how long these windows will hold," Tory quite rudely interrupted, taking the lead, "so if you have any brilliant idea to keep us safe…"

"Ok, ok! Just give us some time to get things ready," the nonchalant man said, sounding quite disheartened. "Yeah, cutting through the very fabric of space and time isn't something you can just do on a whim!" The ever so cut tone of the woman, added, sounding ever more displeased to be rushed.

Even the kind and collected man chuckled, before adding, "then there's the creating a tunnel stable and safe enough for y'all to cross through…"

"That. Sounds. Awesome!" I felt my heart fluttered again, as I imagined all of it inside my mind. Such an image to behold, If I could just watch them turn the impossible possible.

"Oh, trust me, it is." The man agreed with an overflowing excitement, perhaps, he was enjoying the scene on his own right that same moment.  
"But it is quite delicate of a matter," the woman interjected. "Tory, please, put your computer on the middle of the room." Tory sighed, turning on her laptop as she gently placed it in the middle of the room. The rest of us just stared back at her expectantly.

"I would ask why, but I doubt you'd even tell me." Tory added, as she looked back at her cellphone in defeat.

"And I doubt you'd even believe me if I told you," we heard the woman snort, while the rest of us just stifled a chuckle.

"Now what?" Jason coyly spoke up, ever since he came to my room. Come to think about it, it was the first time I had seen him so quiet since I've met him. He was probably what I would have to call a social butterfly.

"Now you all grab each other's hands in a circle around the computer and don't let go." The nonchalant voice said in a rather stern tone of voice, taking me by surprise considering he seemed to be the most laidback of the three strangers. Probably it was all just in my head, and I just expected him to be some kind of comic relief character like those from the shows and books I use to enjoy.

Regardless, we ceremoniously gathered around the glimmering light of the laptop's screen. Slowly, but surely, Tory put her back pack on and held out her right hand to Jason. Noticing Tory's sudden readiness, Jason opted for fastening his back pack tightly across his chest. I was the only one left. So, after looking back at my room for one last time and grabbing my backpack from the floor I walked to the other two. For the first time in a long time I noticed my hands were freezing cold and wet. Perhaps due to the fear and excitement, who knows? I sighed one last time and took hold of Jason's hand first. His hand was warm, big and callous, his grip was strong, yet I could feel him shiver. On the other hand, Tory's hand was dry, cool and collected. Her hands were so small I was surprised Jason hadn't crushed her with his own strength.

But there was no more time to hesitate, it was time for us to leave. Whatever that meant.

"Not that it will make any difference," I heard the woman sarcastically add.

"Wait, what?" The last thing we all yelped in unison, before a huge vortex of light came from within the laptop.

"Well, f*** my life!" Tory cursed, as we gripped each other ever tighter.

* * *

Everything seemed to happen so quickly. First, there we were holding hands as the growing vortex of light seemed to expand and envelop all of our surroundings: the walls, the floor, the ceiling even the creatures outside seemed to have gone and we were met with utter silence. The next thing we knew was us free falling into sweet nothingness and everything around us spinning out of control. The laptop we once held had also disappeared and the only thing left for us was to pray tour destination would be somewhere soft, or at least I hoped. Now the others were taking this experience, well…

"I believe! I believe! Jesus, if you're out there I promise to go to church if you save me from this!" Jason cried out loud tears forming around his eyes, didn't blame him though. The experience was bizarre to say the least.

"Don't be such a pansy!" Tory yelled as loud as she could, trying to hide her fear, with well, her voice? "Take it like a man! This is obviously just a shared hallucination of some sort! I promise you soon enough we'll wake up in a hospital bed or something!"

"I hope you're right!" Jason screamed, while I laughed. I couldn't hide it anymore, the thrill, the stakes, and the wonder, this was…

"Best day ever!" I cackled staring in wonder at all the shinning and beautiful colors surrounding us as we travelled for what felt like hours to me. It was like time stopped and I was able to be, see, and feel that which nobody else in the entire world had ever seen. And to be honest, a part of me was grateful such a heinous situation had taken place so that I could be in a place like this right now.

Jason whispered something into Tory's ear, who dismissively chuckled. "He's fine! Just enjoying the acid trip, I guess!"

"Yeah, I guess!" Jason sighed, shaking his head. Why were they not enjoying the view? Had they been so enveloped by the world back there to forget how to dream of a day like this? _"And all thanks to one single call."_ I stared down at my left pants pocket and gasped. They were shining!

"Hey guys, look!" I squeezed their hands calling for their attention. "Our cellphones are shining!"

"And that's what you are looking at?" Jason scoffed, seemingly venting all his fear on this small outburst. But why did he had to vent on me? "Everything is shining, Emil!"

"Hey, guys, it's good and all for y'all to be bickering and all." Our cellphones flew out of our pockets and started circling in front of us. Almost causing Tory to let go from the circle, thankfully, it seemed Jason's grip was just as strong as I knew it was, maybe even more. "But you must understand the reason we saved y'all is because we believe you have the power to change the fate of the world!"

"Yeah! You're going to a very different place than anything you've ever imagined!" My heart beat faster and faster inside of my chest, I thought it might just pop out of it and run.

It was just so, "Cool!"

"But your mission is to find a way to stop today's events from happening!" The woman's voice called out, always so sober and looming.

"Something or someone tampered with the original timeline," said one of the voices, though there seemed to be too much static going on.

"It's been broken for so long that it might not be possible to bring everything the way it once was." The man I talked with on the phone added, ever so cryptic. "But you might be able to create an even brighter future…"

"Now before you get too far for us to reach you, we have something to tell you." The three voices said in chorus. We just looked between each other in bewilderment, fear, disbelieve, and well, excitement. "Believe in your selves, believe in each other…"

The first to talk was the woman. Her voice like a tender flower caressing one's cheek on a cool spring morning. Her words, kind and understanding, like the sweetest nectar you've ever tasted. It was hard to believe it was the same sour person she so harshly expressed to us all. Yet she said and ended her beautiful speech with: "Tory, your burning love and passion, and your sometimes blatant skepticism will keep you alive. All of you… don't think, feel!"

"Zack," That single word, almost gone silent in the furor of the moment, made her heart melt and a single tear escaped her eye. Though I don't think Jason nor Tory herself noticed.

"Jason, you on the other hand, you need to open your heart and _mind_! Sure they might be strangers, but these people might prove to be great friends and allies, they might even change your way of thinking in more ways than you can even fandom right now." The man started with great strength and determination, sadly the rest of his speech felt short. His words were vague and inconsistent. Nevertheless, we could feel the fire behind them. It seemed it had taken the man a long time to come up with such homily. Yet, Jason's face just showed fright, confusion, and rejection.

"Yeah, ok." He stuttered, choosing to look the other way.

"I mean, it!" The man on the other side of the line begged and longed, trying to get him to understand the meaning behind his words. "Your strength will multiply ten forth if you believe in them! Your strength comes from trusting them, and most importantly of fighting to protect those dear to you…"

"Fine, I guess." I felt like punching Jason, but I was so fearful and anxious that I didn't give it too much thought into it. After all, my thoughts were elsewhere.

"And…and what about me…?" I felt a huge tug inside my heart, what would I do if they told me something I didn't like? Or what if it was the most amazing speech out of the three? Would it be sensible and poetic like the woman's was? Or would be brave and cut like the man's?

The gentle and sympathetic laughter of the man I had talked to before filled my ears, with great difficulty. As the reception of the call seemed to waver and the static increasingly shrouded the man's voice. "Oh, of course, there's… I ha..e to ….tell…"

"And of course I get the sloppy seconds." I always had a way with things, me and my thorn luck.

"He…y it's not… m… au..t!" The man's voice would come in and out of range, as I pulled myself closer to the floating phones. Always making a point not to let go of the other two. "Anyw…s… be..li…v…i…th..p..r... mi….y…nds…an…t…ig…t… i..n…si…f…u…"

''What is he…?'' I heard Jason behind me whispering something to Tory. But I neither wanted nor needed to hear the rest. I knew what he was thinking and what he was more than likely trying to say.

"I sai… to believe in the….. in… o!" I was alone again, even then. Everyone else got hope, guidance, something to hold onto. What did I get ? Despair? Loneliness? I couldn't hear him, and I wanted to, I needed to. I longed to belong, I just couldn't.

"What?!" My eyes clouded as I shouted as hard as I could. I didn't want to be abandoned, not like this. "And never allow the ….. that lurks…. to …. of…"

The cellphones shut down, the light died out. As the small devices slowly stopped spinning around us and gradually drifted away from us. I couldn't take it, I just couldn't. I started crying, begging, I yelled over and over again. I said, "No! You can't! I need to know! Please, don't leave me!"

I was pathetic.

It was then that Tory reacted, releasing her hand from ours. "Wait! The cellphones they're falling further away from us!" I half-heartedly heard her, thinking maybe she would also abandon me. Like _they_ always did. Like everyone _always_ did. To be _left_. For _me,_ it was reality and a curse. _Alone_.

"Tory wait! They said not to split and keep holding each other's hands!" Jason futilely tried to hold on to the young girl's hand. Yet, somehow, she had managed to escape from his grip and was currently three quarters of the way from where the cellphones where currently flying to.

"Oh, please, this current's not that strong." She snorted with cocky overconfidence as she gracefully glided towards the closest one. Just a leg away from where she was now. "Besides, how are we supposed to get in contact with these people if we lose our only means of communication?"

"She's got a point," I agreed, between muffled whimpers. I wanted to help, I wanted to be useful. I just couldn't let it go.

"Besides," Tory continued, reaching for the third and last of the cellphones, "see? Nothing happened! Here! Catch!" She chuckled, throwing a fast one towards the blonde's direction.

Letting go of my hand, Jason made a lunge for the phone. And with a show of tremendous agility and physical prowess was able to catch the terribly deviated phone. Tory just gave him a round of applause. Whilst I just rubbed my eyes unsurprised. "Thanks, Tory!"

"No, prob! Now you, Emil, catch!" She pointed my way with her free hand, I vehemently shook my head. "Wait! I'm a terrible catch-!" But my pleads felt on deaf ears, as the next thing I saw was my phone flying straight at me with full force. I instinctively closed my eyes and covered my face, ready to take the blow.

A stifled thump was heard and I felt someone's hand but mere inches from my face. Slowly I opened my eyes and found Jason had -once again- jumped all the way from where he once was and had somehow caught the phone from hitting me in my face. "Thanks, Jason." I coyly muttered in embarrassment.

"No worries." After all, I had always thought physical prowess and everyone physically fit seemed to be airheads and jerks. I knew I was guilty of falling for stereotypes, maybe he was different. I hoped he was, I hoped that smile he was showing me right then and there was worthy of my trust.

Now with my phone at hand and back into the safety of my pocket, I turned to my friend, who was currently -and recklessly I may add- flying around the tunnel of light as carefree as ever. "Now, Tory, slowly make your way back to us so that-"

"Yeah, yeah! Emil, you worry too much!" She stopped, looking back at us with her usual stern face. "It's not like a huge black hole will just magically appear behind me and suck me into oblivion…"

Just in cue a foreboding, gargantuan void of darkness materialized in front of our eyes. Booming lightning coming from within its crevasses. I felt Jason's hand clasp anew, whilst I stammered before talking. "Uh, Tory…"  
"What?!" I slowly pointed at the ominous bleak hole. Tory turned her head and gasped in disbelief as she took in the image before her and quite gracefully said, "Oh, f***!"

"Swim, Tory, swim!" The blonde beside me screamed at the top of his lungs. All the while, I frantically looked around me for something to help her hold unto. Sadly, there was nothing else out there other than us, our backpacks, and Death.

"I know already! What the f*** do you think I'm doing?!" She cursed as she pushed her body forwards as fast as she could. Yet, the enormous chasm just kept on growing ever larger and closer to my friend.

"C'mon, you're almost here!" I screamed, turning my head towards the boy beside me. "Jason, quickly! Hold me from my waist and I'll stretch closer to her!" I ordered him, he blinked back at me, seemingly lost in thought.

"It's okay guy's I'm almost there!" I heard Tory chuckled, snapping my head just in time to see something flying at full speed towards her direction.

"Tory watch out!" I yelped, all too late, as she got a direct hit on the head with her own laptop. The next thing I saw, was her collapsing in midair as her and her laptop were swallowed by the darkness. Jason took that moment of confusion to pull me away from where we once stood and swim the opposite way.

"Killed by her own laptop, such a sad way to go." He sighed as he swam ever faster, pulling me from behind. That was the last straw.

"Shut up and let us follow her!" I ordered him, biting his hand to get away from his grasp.

"You mean jumping inside the eerie evil void of destruction?" He growled, snapping his hand away from mine. "How about, no!" He screamed, giving me one vicious glare.

"But she's our friend," I said, hoping to appeal to some sense of humanity from him.

"No, she is _your_ friend!" He retorted, looking the other way.

Tears started forming around my eyes, but no. I couldn't be weak, Tory needed me. I had to convince him, I had to appeal to him. Somehow we had to help her. "But the people said to keep together as a team and that you should trust us… and…"  
"I know what those people said." The blonde grabbed me from my necktie, I gasped in disbelief. His face now, but mere inches away from mine. "But, how can you even trust them? They're complete strangers with supernatural powers, and they wouldn't even introduce themselves to us!"

"But…" I tried to continue, just to be cut by a tighter grip around my neck.

"Besides, no offense to you, but you two are also strangers to me! I don't owe you anything," He told me with the coldest face he had ever given to me. So different than the warm smile he shared with me just a couple of seconds ago.

"We saved you!" I begged, tears finally falling from my eyes. He snorted.

"Saved me?! More like kidnap me and take me to a horrible place where I will most surely die swallowed by that thing over there or starved to death." He finally released me, leaving me behind wretched, hurt, betrayed…

"Fine! Be that way!" I cried out, turning my head back to the void. "Everyone is the same…."

"Wait! Where are you going?!" He reached out for me, trying to grab me once again. I stopped him.

"Where else?! To save my friend!" I yelled, swimming ever closer to the darkness looming. To be honest, I was scared, but I had to save Tory. I wouldn't leave her. I wouldn't betray her.

From behind I could hear Jason yelling something, I tried to ignore him. If he wanted to stay behind, fine. It was his choice. But I was going. Even if his throat went sore and lost his voice I wouldn't stop. " _You can't go alone! You are helpless!"_ I heard him say, sort of.

But how was he any different? What made him think he was much more special than the rest of us? We were a team, we had _all_ been chosen. Just because he was more popular, maybe even good looking didn't mean anything if he couldn't put his own wellbeing beside that of those right in front of him.

"You're insane!" I could barely hear his voice now. That was it, I was staring right in front of the umbral of darkness. The door to Hades. My arms felt limp and I felt like I was about to pee. But it was too late now. _"No backing up now!"_

* * *

And just like that, Emil just banished in front of me. Completely and utterly gone. "That idiot! Jumping without thinking!"

Leaving like that, not giving me time to explain myself. Sure, her death would be something we would all have to come terms to, but now instead of losing one teammate out of the blue. I had lost two. "Just who does he think he is?"

"People like me?!" I growled, thinking back all those things Emil said to me right before he left. Judging me without knowing me! Leaving me behind! Dragging an innocent passerby into this quest to who-knows-what!

"People like him! Always believing they're right!" I couldn't stand him. He was just so self-righteous and stubborn. Thinking everyone else was beneath him, probably the reason he could never get any friends. But now what would I do? I looked down to my cellphone, looking down at the time on the phone: 9:33 a.m.

Staring back at the screen, I remembered, "She did get my cellphone back, and he did wake me up from."

They had also been the ones to wake him up from his sleep. And for better or worse, they had given him a couple of extra minutes to enjoy life. He had even experienced some amazing things first hand the last couple of minutes, again, thanks to them. And now, they were gone. They were gone and I was left, because… because… _I was scared…_

"F***!" I shook my head, biting my lower lip until it bled. I couldn't let them go! I couldn't abandon them! I had to! "Emil! Wait for me!" I rushed towards my certain death, yet for some reason I could not help, but to smile. If I died, at least I wouldn't die as a traitor or a coward.

* * *

I gasped and clasped my hands. I was in utter awe! Just being met with such an amazing sight. Or lack thereof. After all, the darkness within was thick and clustered. Still, I could breathe perfectly fine inside the chasm and the lightings were long gone. It was just me and the darkness as we shared a small moment of intimacy of sorts. It was so calm and quiet, everything was so still. Thinking back at the warped down tunnel of light we had been falling from for the last few hours, the change was for the better. You could even say it was a very pleasant type of darkness. It wasn't the threatening sort of darkness I was always told to be afraid of. Instead, it felt warm, quaint, serene, almost welcoming…

"It's so dark in here!" I chuckled, trying once again the wonderful acoustics this place offered. It hadn't been long since I discovered the many wonders of this place, though every now and then a flux of light and electromagnetic wave of sort seem to move from one direction to the other. It made my hair all frizzled every time I felt the current pass me by.

"-mil!" I heard someone's voice call from within the darkness.

"Huh?" I blinked my eyes, trying to make up who the owner of the voice was. With any luck it was none other than Tory, and then they could start planning a way out of the void.

"Emil! Are you in there?" The voice, probably male, echoed in the shadows. "I can't see anything! Help me! Please!"

"That sounds like that idiotic jerk that left me to find Tory on my own," I said to no one in particular. "I am not an idiot!" I jolted almost instantly, he was probably closer than I thought he was. Wait a minute, was it really him? Could he really have come all the way to save them?

"Jason? Is that you?" I yelled in a mixture of excitement and doubt.

"Yes! I can hear you, but I can't see you," was the immediate response. It was him, after all!

"Huh, well, I can hear you as well but I can't see you either." I tried covering my gladness, after all, he deserved to be punished. He had been a selfish idiot. Still, how could we meet with each other? Maybe if I had something to show him the way, but I didn't know if I could find my flashlight inside my back pack. "I've got it!" I scrambled my hand inside my left pocket.  
Once my hand felt a hard and cold object inside my pocket, I swiftly took it out with a smile. Somehow, in between the darkness, I was able to make sense out of the electronic apparatus in my hand and pressed the button on its side. "Hey! I see a light!"  
"Yes, it is the light from my cellphone! Just follow the light and you'll reach me," I told him.

"I'll try," He answered as I held my cellphone upwards. I prayed the light would work as a good enough makeshift beacon and maybe even Tory would be able to see it and follow it.

"Jason?" I called out for him after a couple of minutes of pregnant silence. I was terrified he had gotten lost in the midst of the never-ending blackness. "Jason?! Where are you? I can't hear you anymore!"  
I started to hyperventilate. What would happen if Jason never found me! What if Tory was lost forever! Damn those mood swing and pessimism of mine! "Jason!"

"I'm right here, idiot!" I felt a hand grab my shoulder, making me yell like a little girl. "And stop yelling! I'll have you know I've perfect hearing!"

"Yeah, sorry I freaked out a bit." I blushed embarrassed. Thus far I had cried, what? Two times in front of him? Freaked out three times? I surely hoped he didn't think less of me. At the very least I hoped he wasn't keeping track of my outburst like I had.

"I'm glad my idea worked and the light still functions." I awkwardly chuckled, trying to hide my obvious uncomfortableness from him. The last thing I needed was to look even flimsier than I probably already was in his eyes. God, I was such a wuss.

"Mine's busted, for some reason." He groaned, looking down to his own phone. "Heck, in this dim light I can barely make up your face!" I let out a deep sigh of relieve. Hopefully he hadn't seen me in that moment of weakness. Then again, he could be lying to me to make me feel better about the way I reacted.

"Really? I can see you just fine," I answered. I needed to convince him that I was fine and that he could trust me. Even if he was the one that left Tory and I.

"Maybe your eyes just adapted better to the darkness since you've been here a little longer than I have." Jason suggested, I absently nodded my head.

Then it hit me, he just said he couldn't see anything. "Maybe…"

"Any signs of Tory?" He questioned me, looking right at my nose? Oh, maybe he was following the source of my voice to pinpoint my exact location. "None."

"What should we do now?" The one question I really didn't want to think of right that moment. Just my luck, again. "Don't know…"

"Well, this is just great." The blond slumped his shoulders, looking quite distressed.

"It could be worse, much worse." I nudged him, hoping to cheer him up.

"It could be better. We could find some kind of exit or something." He mumbled under greeted teeth. I nodded, looking around just to be stopped by a small shimmering light, glowing on the horizon.

"Like that thing over there?" I turned Jason's head so he could see the same light.

"Yeah, wait, was that thing over there always there?" He snapped his head looking back at me. Sort of. Actually my shoulder, but, beggars can't be choosers.

"Nope," I flatly answered.

With a new goal at hand, Jason and I had slowly trudged our way towards small source of light. At first we thought it was some kind of diamond or sphere. After a while longer the light grew larger and wider to the size of a large water melon. Still, the environment was not the same, somehow that small source of light had been enough to lift our spirits.  
"It looks like a huge hole of light!" Jason chimed after a few hours. And indeed the light had exponentially increased in size. It was now big enough for a truck to go through, but the best part was that I could see colors.  
"Yeah, like the entrance to a cave! And I can see…" I squinted my eyes as I saw a white mass of gas pass a little above our heads. "I see clouds!"

We were now just a few steps from the edge of the chasm. "I can hear birds too!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I smiled back at Jason as we stopped to admire the clear blue sky surrounding us. For what we could tell, we were somewhere close to some woods or something. "Let's go! Tory might be waiting for us there!"

Jason just nodded, grabbing me from my hand. I chuckled, that is until I felt a strong pull on my arm and realized what had just happened; Jason had jumped off the edge of the hole with me, of course. And now we were falling down to the surface at an unbelievable speed. I glared back at Jason, he just shrugged. "Anything's better than staying inside this nasty ol' darkness…"

" _Not when the other option is death!"_ I jumped on top of him, trying to strangle him. If I were to die, I'd at least have the satisfaction of killing him with my two bare hands.

* * *

"We're going to die," I cried out loud, hugging the life out of Emil. I regretted now jumping off the void. Thankfully, Emil was there. And to my surprise, he was to hugging me back. Though, for a second there, I thought he was trying to kill me or something. "I've never even had a chance to have children!"

Emil whimpered, climbing up my chest closer to my neck. His dark mahogany eyes burned with a passion as he wrapped himself closer to me. "I've never even had sex in my life!"

Oh, well, he was definitely trying to kiss me. Still, did he just say he was a virgin? I didn't know what to say. I felt bad for him, really. "Well, it doesn't surprise me, but…"

"Hey, screw you!" That was the first time I had ever seen such a red and embarrass look on his face. It was just hilarious! Maybe some teasing was in order, especially if we were going to be goners sooner than we ever expected.

"Oh, I have!" I taunted him, patting his head like a little kid. "I guess in perspective my life has been very fulfilling…"

"Really?" He gave me a wicked smile, before continuing, "well, then I guess you don't need my help to duck!"

"Duck?" I felt a sharp pain in my head and before I knew it I felt all of my surroundings suddenly went hazy and then….

"Hah! You suck!" I could hear Emil laughing, I didn't know what he meant. I could just feel my body been constantly hit over and over again all over. "Been knocked out by a tree," he said. _"So that's what had happened me. I guess, I should have taken more attention at how far away we were from the surface."_

"Ok, that hurt!" I heard Emil groan.

* * *

When I woke up I found myself into what I could only call an enchanted forest. It beckoned me into its pulsing heart. The deep, haunting ballad of its ancient song called out to me. As old as time itself, the forest was still steeped in plushness and opulence. I felt my body move on its own, perhaps I was looking for my lost friend. Or maybe I was just being swallowed by these bewitching woods?

With a light heart, I plunged into the over-arching vault of leaf and limb. It was not what I had expected. The exquisiteness of the dawn's light had not yet lanced to the lush, green sward. Because of this, hoods of black shadow hung in the groves. Then a finger of supernal light poked through the misty mesh. It was followed by a whole loom of light, filtering down in seams of gold. I darted between shafts of lustrous-gold light as I went, admiring the butterflies. They pirouetted in the air, their wings a-whirr like little ripples of silk.

Idling past suede-soft flowers, I caressed them softly, getting tingles in my fingers. My ears perked up at the metallic, tinkling sound of a stream. It flashed with a tinsel tint through the lace of leaves. When the trees parted, I could see it was sliding into an infinity-pool. The pool looked like a polished mirror of silver, with skeins of swirl-white twisting slowly on the surface. Sight and smell vied for attention in this soul-enriching dream world. _"It was magical…"_

Just as I was about to continue on with my exploration of this bewildering and marvelous new world unwrapping right in front of my eyes, something caught my attention. Something that didn't quite belonged there. I slowly, made my way towards said red object. By the looks of it, it was some kind of fabric, perhaps a mantle?

Once I was closer I could distinctively tell, that whatever it was, it was moving. Slowly I walked towards it and realized that the thing I had seen was no other than Jason, laying unconsciously on the floor. "Jason, are you okay?" I rushed to his side, kneeling beside him.

"I think, we are in some sort of forest, "I talked to him, hoping perhaps my words would wake him up. Thankfully, it seemed there were not any visible injuries around his body other than a couple small scratches here and there. All superficial, I assure you. And of course, a bump on his head.

I laughed, as I took a better look at myself. I wasn't any better. My hands were darkened, dirty, and bloody. I had been so taken by my own impression of the woods, that I had been utterly oblivious of my own wellbeing. I shook my head. "It kind of feels familiar…"

My own enjoyment was short lived, when a chorus of ravenous howling echoed throughout the woods. I snapped my head, looking back at the mossy road I had been trudging through. And there, from within one of the forgone shadows of the lustful bushes shone a couple of hungry golden eyes. "Ah! Jason, quickly wake up!"

Then it happened, from within the rustling bushes came two growling wolves. Their sharp fangs shining dangerously towards me. My own legs teetered in utter fear, I had to run! I had to leave! But remembering my biology classes, it was probably too late for me to escape. Besides, I couldn't just leave Jason there, could I? _"What should I do? What should I do?"_

My brain went through every single possible scenario. And in every single one of them only one of us could make it out alive. That is only if I became a good enough prize for them to catch. Or if I was able to dissuade all attention towards my knocked out friend. Whatever I deicide, I had to do it fast…

"Hey, you good for nothing overgrown wolves, get away from my friend!" I pulled one of the weakest branches of a nearby tree and successfully yanked it off from its trunk. Now with a makeshift weapon at hand I bated said branch between the trees at either side of me, trying to make as much noise as I could.

The wolves just looked at each other for a second, before giving me a threatening growl. It almost seemed to say they had not been fooled by my little charade and if anything, I've just fooled myself. I gulped, my feet shaking, the beasts stepped a little closer to me. I knew then that the only way to save him was if I tried to make a run for it and hopefully a good hunt would make them forget all about my convalescent friend. I breathed one last time, trying to calm my nerves.

And then? I ran.

Tried to run would be a better description of what actually happened, though. Before I could even make it through the bushes, a third wolf sprung put of the shadows and cut me short. I stumbled on my feet and felt hard on the ground. Closing my eyes, I bit my lip, as I smelled the blood stench of the beasts' breath as they circled around me. _"I-Is this how I'm going to die?"_

"Fireball!" I heard a kid's voice yell. I heard one of the beasts screech in pain and a sudden smell of burned fur rushed through my nostrils. Not a moment later a second voice yelled out loud, "Demon Fang!"

I heard a loud thud right next tom me, accompanied by another screech of pain. Still I held my eyes tightly shut, covering my head with my hands. My heart was going wild there, when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder I squealed, and for the first time in my life I stood up from the ground in a matter of seconds. My eyes darted between the two strangers standing right in front of me, but… wait a minute… they were no strangers… I knew them…

"Hey, are you alright?" A friendly red clad young brunet boy holding my shoulder looked back at me with concern and exhilaration. "See, Genis, I told you those weren't shooting stars! They were people falling from the skies!"

My mind went blank. I knew these people! They were characters! Characters from one of my favorite games in the world! But how where they there? Why did they look so real? They weren't just a conglomeration of polygons, nor zeroes and ones! I could feel them! I could touch them! This was impossible! Yet. Amazing.

"Wait, Lloyd, there's something different about them!" My favorite character of the series warned his friend, pushing his hand away from my shoulder. "They, they produce mana… no it's something else… something that doesn't belong in our world…" It seemed he had noticed it, too. We were not like them.

" _As expected from the smartest boy in Aselia!"_ I smiled back at him, even as he glared back at me with distrust.

"Regardless, we can't just leave them here to fend for themselves," Lloyd said, walking closer to Jason's unconscious body. I could only stare back at him in amazement as he produced a well-known –at least to me- reddish gummy looking gel and forced it inside my friend's mouth. _"Apple Gel!"_ I inwardly noted, hoping to one day have the chance to try its flavor too.

"You're right." Genis slumped his shoulders in defeat, shaking his head. "Still, falling from the skies and…"

I stared incredulously at the boy in front of me. He was shorter than I thought he would be, barely reaching to my chest. Unconsciously, I reached my hand to him and slightly patted his shoulder, expecting him to banish. But he didn't, I smiled with teary eyes. "Y-You, you're real!"

The boy looked at me with fear and distrust in his eyes, still he tried acting polite. "Yes, yes I am my name's-"

I interrupted him, almost like a whole life of memories came flooding my mind. All his likes, all his dislikes, his mother's name. Secrets, everything. I knew him! I had to tell him! This was a miracle! "Genis Sage! 12 years old! Your sister's name is Raine Sage and you're a half-!"

"Say one more word in front of Lloyd and I'll roast you to bits," the young half elf said, pulling me by my neck tie. I blinked my eyes widely taking a better look at the boy staring right back at me. He seemed uneasy, giving Lloyd furtive glances behind his back. Why didn't he want to talk about his heritage in front of Lloyd? He had to know. Everyone knew by the end of the game, furthermore, everyone knew about Ratatosk and Emil's true identity by the end of the sequel. Unless. Unless they had traveled in time before the events of the first game had happened…

"Sorry, it's just that you're my hero." I tried to ease off the tension building up inside my hero's small body. The last thing I wanted to do is look like a complete stalker to one of the few minds in this world that might be able to get us back where we came from.

"Me?" Genis seemed genuinely flattered as his muscles relaxed and his cheeks blushed.

"Him?" Lloyd who was now helping Jason walk, came back to me with increased interest. He seemed a little annoyed, yet surprised by my last assertion. Still, he met me eye-to-eye with the biggest grins in the world. I hated it.

I faked a smile and nodded, keeping a humble demeanor as not to raise any unnecessary questions. The last thing they needed to know is that their world was probably the fiction of some game developer's mind. Or the fact that not only did we belonged from a different dimension, but I knew everything there was to know about them and their future.

"Emil? Where are we? Who are those people?" I felt Jason reach out to me for support. With an apologetic smile I took my friend under my shoulder, as he whispered to my ear. "Why does that kid have pointy ears?!"  
Before I could tell Jason more than a couple of words of advice, like not telling them anything about where we came from and so on, Lloyd interrupted us. "Hello, people from the stars!"

"My name is Lloyd Irving," said him pointing a finger at himself, before turning his head to Genis. "And the person beside me is, apparently, the "hero" Genis Sage from Iselia!"

"From where does thoust fair from, oh, travelers from the stars?" Genis, Jason and I shared a knowingly looked, feeling quite creeped with Lloyd's peculiar speech. He was acting like we were aliens, gods or something. _"Maybe this could turn out useful later, though!"_

"What is wrong with that guy?" Jason murmured. Genis and I chuckled, gaining an annoyed glare from the red clad teen in question. I just gave my friend a stern look keeping him from saying much more and a silent promise to explain everything to him. Not that he would necessarily believe what I would tell him, but still, he deserved to know. _"Not like even I know what's going on…"_

"Just remember who saved you a couple seconds ago," I sweetly told Jason with another fake smile. We did not want to make enemies out of these people. I chuckled again, giving him an all too well glance to the two newcomers. "More importantly, Jason, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore…"

It seemed our adventure was just beginning.


	2. Just Another Bickering Couple

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia rights or any of their characters. Please support the original media.**

 **Nexus Connection**

 **Book I**

 **Chapter 2: Just Another Bickering Couple**

" _Most people are about as happy as their self-confidence will allow them to be."_

― _Shannon L. Alder_

* * *

First of all, I have to say, I am writing this as a request from Emil. He says that we need to keep some kind of chronic or mark to prove that everything we lived did happen. So, here I am writing this diary I started three days ago, more or less. Emil was all too excited to show me all his records and memos to refresh my memory -they were _very_ detailed- so I decided to keep it short, sweet and to the point.

Sorry, bro, but that's the truth. I did help him write down a couple of holes in the story here and there. I personally didn't like much of the drama and monologues that he added, skipping on the facts.

I am terrible at writing. He did say that our personalities would shine and wouldn't affect the records, how wrong was he.

Now, where should I begin? Oh, I know! I'll start with…

* * *

I was tired. _Really tired_. And annoyed. There also was a weird taste stuck in my mouth. It was disgusting. Also, my clothes were all dirty and scraped. I tried using my cellphone, but was stopped by Emil before I even got it out of my pocket. So there I was: completely confused, following two strangers wearing weird clothing, and in some kind of dangerous looking forest.

It was just too much. Where were we? Did we land safely from the sky? I could only assume. Emil just smiled like a brainless zombie at the backs of the two strangers in front of us. By the looks of it, he knew exactly who they were. He probably even knew where we were. I deserved to know the truth.

"So, what's the deal with the kid with long ears?" I approached him, trying to start the grilling with a basic question. Didn't want to frighten him right of the bat, y'know?

"Don't be rude! And quit pointing at them!" Emil whispered so loudly, I swear I saw the little kid cock his head.

"Wouldn't you?" I laughed. The kid, Genis, kept eyeballing us. Thought we didn't notice, I did. "If a freak like that just showed up in front of you?"

"He's not a freak! He's a half-elf." I stopped, looked back at Emil and glared.

"A half-what?" Was he making fun of me? Sure, I've seen many freaks on T.V. getting their ears, noses, foreheads and cheeks done in the news. But this guy was telling me that the kid in front of us was an Elf?

"Shhh! I said a half-elf." He yanked my arm, placing a finger on my lips. "But please, keep all your comments to yourself! At least until we find a place we can have a long _private_ talk, ok?"

I sighed, closed my eyes and turned to look at him. "Fine, but when wil-"

I was suddenly -and rudely- interrupted by a certain red clad weirdo.

"So, Emil. Jason," he awkwardly said. His eyes travelling between the two of us with a huge grin on his face. "Where do you come from?"

I just wanted to say, _"Earth, obviously, where do you come from?"_ But Emil warned me violently with his eyes. Him on the other hand seemed to be losing it. His hands where sweating and he kept fidgeting with his fingers.

"Well we come from," he stuttered, biting his nails. "From…"

"The future!" I blurted out without even thinking. If Emil was a cartoon character his jaw would have dropped to the floor the instant I said it. Not like his reaction was any less odd. I mean, who could blame me for that? If anything, it was Emil's fault. All I knew was that the albino kid was an elf thingy, we weren't _home_ -whatever that meant- and I couldn't tell them where we came from.

"The future?!" The taller boy, Lloyd I think was his name, lit up. The latter just snorted and rose a weary eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah, the future!" Smooth, Emil. Very Smooth.

His face was contorted and into some kind of weird mixture of fear and constipation. His eyes wandered around everywhere but their faces. And his laughter, God, he seemed more like he was hyperventilating. I slowly approached him and squeezed his shoulder. He looked back at me, sighed and nodded again. He seemed slightly calmer after that. Sort of.

"I don't buy it." The reluctant kid shook his head. He really didn't seem to like us. It's ok, I didn't like that little brat much either. I was studying to be a teacher, but that didn't mean I had much patience for his cheek.

"Cool! Tell me! Is the world still plagued by the Desians?!" I looked back at Emil. Who was deep in thought, like he knew the answer to his question. Or at the very least he knew what Lloyd was talking about.

Lloyd just stared at us. Emil kept quiet. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't really know."

"What he means is that we cannot answer any of your questions!" Emil picked the ball quite fast. Honestly, I didn't know what was going on. I was promised an explanation, so I just had to wait it out. "It's classified!"

"I still think they are lying!" The snotty brat -once again- interrupted. _"Seriously, for a kid I just met 20 minutes ago, he's really getting under my skin."_

"Come on, Genis, you're a man of science!" Lloyd, the nice guy, wrapped his arm around Genis neck. The brat sighed, he chuckled. "You know what you saw! They came from the skies! Like a comet!"

"Pyrotechnics! Illusion Magic! I dunno!" The kid seemed set to crucify us. Like, what have we done to him? We didn't even know this kid and he was already pointing fingers at us and calling the rape whistle.

"Then why were _we_ the only ones that could see it?" Lloyd smirked. "Remember?"

The brat growled and nodded.

"Pardon us?" It was now Emil that finally seemed to join the conversation. He now seemed very intrigued to what they were saying. I, personally, couldn't make heads nor tails.

"Oh, we forgot to tell ya?" Lloyd chuckled, again. Emil sighed. He'd been courteous so far and I doubt either one of them seemed to notice. But even in between all his shock, Emil didn't seem too fond of Lloyd. "Yeah, we were on a way out of school. I had promised Genis to cook him some Dwarven Potluck Surprise."

"That's when we noticed a huge light coming down from the skies full speed!" Emil nodded listening to every word he said. "It was wild!"

"It wasn't that amazing." Genis weakly smiled, almost excited. Almost.

Lloyd rolled his eyes and smiled. "Anyways, the point is that when we went to the Professor-"

"Professor?" I interrupted.

"Genis's older sister," Emil said in a matter in fact tone.

"Oh." I nodded.

'That is right." The brat narrowed his eyes. I could feel his gaze burning holes in our heads.

"See? Future!" Lloyd supported us. He really seemed to trust us.

"You were saying about the Professor?" Emil coughed, bringing the conversation back in track.

"Oh! Right." Lloyd chuckled.

* * *

 _"Raine! Professor!" Lloyd and Genis came yelling and wailing inside the old school classroom. "Come outside! Quickly!"_

 _Raine sighed. Slowly she took off her glasses and placed them on her desk where she was currently working on some papers. Raine slowly rose his eyes from some papers and addressed the newcomers, "Is it an emergency?"_

 _"Not exactly." Genis admitted, avoiding direct eye contact with his sister. Lloyd glared back at him and clicked his tongue._

 _"Of course, it's an emergency!" He pleadingly looked up at Raine, pointing at the window outside. "Professor a comet is falling right outside the village! In the woods, close to my house!"_

 _"Lloyd. A comet, as much of a celestial phenomenon can," her voice cut off short as she abruptly stood from her chair, "wait!" She slammed her hands on the desk. "Did you say just outside the village?! I'll be there in a sec!"_

 _Raine hurriedly picked some objects from the desk and cabinet on the room, ushering her students to meet her outside. They nodded and walked outside._

 _Lloyd and Genis gasped at the beautiful melt of colors rushing across the skies. And everywhere it went a rush of wind seemed to follow, dying the skies with different tones of green, blue, orange and red. Lloyd and Genis were simply ecstatic and swore they even felt one of those huge bursts of wind had been so strong they've reached them._

 _"I wish Colette was here," Genis said. His eyes not leaving the giant mass of light falling to the ground._

 _"Yeah, but you know she's preparing in the Church for the Oracle." Lloyd patted his friend's back and sighed. "I'm sure her grandma will let her watch it."_

 _"Well, here I am. Where's the comet?" Raine came running from behind carrying a telescope with her._

 _Just as the boys were about to point at the obvious ball of light tinting the sky of many colors. The ball stopped in midair and dropped straight to the ground. The next thing they saw was a giant pillar of light rise in the horizon. The flow of energy was so strong even they were launched back a couple of feet._

 _"Professor! Did you see that!" Lloyd pointed at the sky with a wide grin._

 _"See what?!" Though taken a back, Raine looked back and forward expectantly. "Where's the comet? Lloyd! Genis! Explain yourselves!" The two boys stared at each other incredulously._

* * *

Outside the woods, there was just a clearing. There were critters running around, nothing serious compared to the dangers inside the forest. I didn't really have the time nor the patience to take in my surroundings. I was just a good little soldier following our guides as we followed a beat-up trail headed northeast of the godforsaken forest. I wasn't really breaking a sweat, but when I turned around I saw Emil gasping for air. I wanted to say something, but my trail of thought was interrupted, again with their nonstop chatter.

"We had such a hard time trying to convince the Professor we weren't kidding." Lloyd chuckled as took our first steps out of the woods and into the field.

The boy, Genis, nodded in agreement. "She was so ready to give me a good smack. She's just so vicious…"

"Viscous? I've never seen the Professor sticky," said Lloyd with a hand on his chin. I looked at him half amused. He couldn't possibly be that dense.

"Is he really a retard?" I turned to look at the other two. Emil snorted, trying really hard to hold his laughter.

"He is, kind of." Genis chuckled. I was wrong.

"Hey!" He gave Genis light tap on the shoulder. I was relieved he at least got _that._

"Anyways, you guys better keep your heads down and keep to yourselves." The brat suddenly turned serious. His face was fierce, but he couldn't scare me even if he tried. I didn't really know what he meant with those glaring eyes. I just knew he was trying to tell us something.

"Why?" I casually asked.

Lloyd still deep in thought lop his head left and right, trying to figure what to say next. I expected the little runt to be the one to speak up first. But he wasn't. "People in Iselia don't take very kindly of strangers-"

"Or half-elves, or foreign tech, or Noische, or dwarves." Emil interjected with a dejected face. It seemed the place we were going was less than pleasant.

"Yeah, but how did you know?" The brat spoke, again.

"Like I- we- said before. Future," I retorted between gritted teeth. I swear, my fist was ready to knock his lights out. One more word from his mouth. I think Lloyd noticed, because he instinctively moved closer to Genis acting like a barrier between the two.

"That is so cool, but yeah." Lloyd smiled slowing his pace to match mine. Emil dismissively shook his head pushing forward towards Genis. "People from Iselia are so paranoid especially around this time."

"Yeah, I can imagine with the coming of the oracle so close and stuff." Emil added desperately trying to get the attention of the brat. Why he was wasting his time trying to talk to him was beyond me.

"Pretty much, still you would think with a month to go before—

Emil suddenly stopped walking, causing Lloyd to bump into him. Still he stared blankly back at him with an unreadable look on his face. Finally, he spoke. "Pardon me, you said a _month_ to go?"

"Yeah, why?" Lloyd and Genis answered in sync. All the color on Emil's face seemed to had been drained and he looked worse than before. Even his legs seemed to wobble a little as he latched onto my arm for support.

"Uhm, hello? Is your friend okay?" Spiky haired dude waved his hand in front of Emil's face without success. "He seems a little out there."

"He's fine." I dismissively waved a hand, giving them my most convincing smile. I hoped he was, at least.

"The trip just took a toll on him. Both of us, really." I reassured the twosome and while they both looked worried, only Lloyd seemed to believe my excuse. I had already stopped carrying about little Miss Paranoid next to him looking back at Emil like he had some kind of deadly disease or something.

"We understand. Once we get back to town, we can show you guys around and maybe even prove the Professor we weren't kidding around!" He patted Emil's back. Emil snapped his head back at him with wide eyes.

"N-No! Don't do that!" He released my shoulder, choosing to take Lloyd's instead. "I-I mean, it won't be necessary, after all the last thing some _time travelers_ should do is to relate with the people of this time and change things."

"The butterfly effect," I said in a whim. I remembered hearing something about it mentioned somewhere in our physics book. Or at least on one of the extra credit articles I had to do in order to pass the class.

"Yeah, that's right." Emil seemed both seriously pleased and utterly surprised when he said that. _"I know science too, thank you very much!"_  
"What _is_ the butterfly effect?" Emil and Genis stared pitifully back at him. And me trying not to look out of the loop followed their example. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that? It's a valid question!"

* * *

One long conversation later, and too many headaches to count with all our combined fingers together, we were able to explain Lloyd the basics of time. And of course, the still unproven theories derived from the possibility of time traveling. Like I said, it was not pretty. But while we were at it, we were able to convince Lloyd the planet was indeed round and not cuboidal as he assumed. Don't ask me why, I even criticized the little kid about the quality of education taught by her sister. He swore it was not her who was the problem; and while he admitted he himself had never heard about the _Butterfly Effect Theory_ he assured us their teacher had indeed taught them their world was round.

"God, my head is hurting with all this heavy talk!" Lloyd sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I skipped class just to avoid getting lectured, and look at me now."

"I know," Genis admitted. "But not everything's so bad. Look isn't that up ahead the town's gate?" The kid pointed at the road in front of us. It was just a really tall wooden fence covering all the surrounding area. I could also see what looked like a very simple outpost and an arched gate. It didn't really look very safe or useful.

"It is! Isn't it? It's all so real!" Emil on the other hand seemed to be having the time of his life, running far ahead of us. He just seemed so eager to go inside that place or at least see the structures first hand.

"I-I can't! This is just so beautiful!" Yeah. It wasn't trust me on this one. He might pretty things up and whatever with his fancy writing, but it wasn't. It was dull, old and boring.

"If he gets this excited just by looking at the main gate, wait until you see the rest of our town!" Lloyd nudge me on the side and I politely smiled back at him. I hated this place already.

"Finally, some showers and a toilet!" Emil chirped in with such joy. And then I remember I hadn't showered since last night before I went to bed. Then again, it might have already been two days ago. And the chance to finally get this dirt off and a fresh change of clothes was very appealing at the moment.

"Shower?" Lloyd stared back at Emil quite confused.

* * *

I won't bother writing the rest of that conversation, suffice to say I didn't get to use a decent shower until we finally made it to Palmaosta for the first time. There was a tub, but that's not the same thing. Then again, I'm getting ahead of myself in my story and it is quite the story as it's the last time I… Anyhow, when we reached Aselia an _interesting_ surprise was waiting for us. Or rather, _there wasn't_?

* * *

Finally, we reached the town's gate where two men carrying wooden spears where waiting in either side of the gate. Still, they seemed to keep the gate wide open and I wondered what was the point of the gate in the first place if they just left it open all the time. Who knows, maybe they were just waiting for this two to get back home or something. One of the men raised his hand and waved as we approached and neither of them seemed to be worried about our presence. I took that as a good sign.

"Genis! Lloyd! Back so soon from your field trip?" The man on the left laughed, patting Genis on the shoulder.

"And empty handed at that, for what I can tell." The man who had waved his hand earlier added. "I guess the elusive meteor just wasn't that easy of a catch, huh?"

"What are you people talking about, _empty handed_?" Lloyd growled pointing right at us. We awkwardly waved our hands at the men. The men stared at each other and then back at Lloyd. "We found these two lost in the woods were the comet felt!"

"They even go as far as making up such an outlandish story as to coming from the future." Genis agreed, throwing another jab at us.

"Did you say something?" I whispered to his overgrown freakish ear.

"Oh, nothing, nothing really." He whistled. The men closed their eyes and shook their heads.

"Well, anyways, Genis. Your sister asked me to fetch you immediately after you arrived," the man said. Genis gulped. I turned to see Emil -once again- deep in thought. "Something about needing factual evidence about your claim of a falling star."

"But now that we see you two uttering this nonsense I would think this is a great opportunity to get checked out by your sister. After all, there's nobody better in this town to check out that head injury of yours than her." Genis gasped at the man's last statement. His eyes widened like he had realized something. And Emil just closed his eyes as if confirming the brat's suspicions.

Lloyd on the other hand, growled fiercely at the men and clenched his fists. "Did they just say that we-!"

"We'll do just that! I have been feeling quite ill for some time now!" Genis placed a hand at Lloyd, stopping him from saying anymore. "C'mon everyone! We need to head to my sister's!"

I took that moment of distraction and pulled Emil away from the latter two. We needed to talk. Now.

* * *

"What is going on, Emil?" I pushed Emil to a nearby tree. He gasped.

"Shhh! Keep quiet! They'll hear you!" He pulled me from my shirt whispering to my ear. "Besides, isn't it obvious? Without going out on a tangent I think we are virtually invisible in this world." He said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. But I had to admit it wasn't the weirdest thing I had experience in the last few hours.

I took that chance and finally decided to ask the question I've been wanting to know since we got here. "Which is?"

"Aselia," he told me, biting his lip. He looked to the side when he said that.

"Okay, what does that mean?" I kept pushing him. He wasn't getting away from me without giving me a clear answer. He might've been taller than me, but he wasn't stronger. Not by far. So, he wasn't going anywhere from that tree until I said so.

He seemed to get the message. He dropped his arms defeated and stammered to get his words out right. "It means…it means far, _far_ away…"

"You are not making this easy!" I chimed getting a little hysteric now. He looked back at me pleadingly. Like he was really trying to find the right words to calm me down. Only the truth would do. "I get we are not in our world. I get somehow there are elves, half-elves, swordsmen and other stuff! What I want –no- what I _need_ to know is where is _here_!"

"A video game, okay!" Emil burst out in tears pushing me to the side. He walked a couple steps away from me and crossed his arms like he was trying to hug himself. He was terrified for some reason. "I'll tell you more later! When we are _not_ right next to two of the main protagonists of said game, and might possibly… change the story…"

Emil signaled with his head to the two boys slowly walking our way. Emil was busy trying to calm himself, using his sleeves to dry his tears. I was still in shock, but I didn't have much time to think. They were coming back and I only had two choices: to believe or not in Emil's words.

"You are serious, aren't you?" He nodded with puffy eyes. I sighed, paced myself in circles, scratched the back of my head. I didn't know what to do. They were just a few steps away now. I stopped, looked up to Emil and said, "this is no shit… goddammit! Okay, I believe you."

"Y-You do?" His face lit up. I nodded. _"Why are you getting all hopeful? I have to believe you! I mean look at everything around us! Look at the albino with pointy ears!"_ I thought, giving our new buddies the widest smile I could muster. Emil did the same.

"Yes, so far I know you haven't lied to me." I mumbled, keeping the fake grin up. We didn't want to nor did we needed them to suspect something was wrong between us. "So why would you start now?"

"Thank you! Thank you so much for trusting me!" Emil's smile softened. It surely seemed more real than mine now. "Listen, I have to be honest here, again. That time travelling story you made up was risky, I'm surprised they swallowed it. But we need to stick to it no matter what. At least until we've figured why only they can see us, found Tory, and last but not least, found a way out of here…"

"Fine by me." I nodded. And an idea came to my mind. "I'm pretty sure some of the stuff from our backpacks could help us out to keep up with the lie."

Emil agreed. And with that our conversation was over. We were not alone, again.

"You _are_ telling the truth, aren't you?" Genis was the first one to speak up. He really seemed pissed as he said those words.

"Told you, Genis. I mean, how else can you explain the fact that nobody else but _us_ can see them." Lloyd on the other hand seemed really glad his friend was finally warming up to the idea we came from the future.

"I-I don't know. I can't explain! I-I just can't! most importantly, what are we going to tell Raine?" Everyone froze. Well, except me, of course. I didn't really get what was the big idea with Genis's sister. I mean the kids seemed to be afraid of her, I got that. But why was Emil also freaking out?

"Huh, I have an idea! Wait a second! I'll be right back!" Lloyd dashed away from us leaving the rest of us very confused.

"W-wait! Lloyd! Damn it!" The brat yelled. But he was gone and we were left standing there by ourselves.

* * *

"So, what are we waiting for?" I spoke, breaking the silence. It was awkward and honestly standing in the middle of the town was getting boring. I mean, it's not like there was anything to do and my feet really hurt.

"I don't know. Obviously. Oh, and please, stop talking to me. The last thing I need is for you people to destroy my cover in this town. I mean, people already look at me funny when thinking I'm a pure elf. What do you think they'd say if on top of that they saw me talking to myself?" Genis blurted out very fast. The kid didn't even stop to catch a breath. Then again, it was true there were people walking around us. But it wasn't like it was crowded or anything. Just the usual passerby or so. Though some did stare at Genis like was some kind of bug.

"I'm sorry to ask this, but." I stopped myself before continuing, but if I was going to be living in this world I needed the to know. Bracing myself I continued, "what's so wrong with being a Halfling?"

"Half-elf, Jason. Half. Elf. Don't worry, Genis. Let me explain him." Emil assured the kid. For some reason, Emil seemed over protective of the brat. I don't know why. For what I could tell he was just some punk kid.

"You see, in this wo- I mean, time period." My eyes widened for a second there. He almost messed it up. "There is a huge stigma with the mating of both races. It is said that the seed of evil dwell in the hearts of men, but it is balanced with a short and very limited span of life. Also, the fact that they cannot control the elements of the world. On the other hand, Elves are considered denizens of the land wise and powerful. But they have never risen in arms since their numbers are quite small and they are just not vicious in nature."

"I take it the stigma is that half elves are both powerful magically and physically with long life spans," I said. Emil smiled and nodded.

"And evil." Emil finished. Genis sighed. He looked very sad. I didn't realize things like that happened in games too.

"Yup. That about sums it up." The kid force himself to smile. "That's why nobody can know my secret. Not even Lloyd." He looked so vulnerable at that moment. I've gotta be honest, I felt bad for him. Like honest to goodness bad. Sure, he had been a prick to me before, but he was still a kid.

"Don't worry, Genis." Emil slowly approached the kid and extended his hand towards him. "I promise you, your secret is safe with me." A tear fell from his eye. He quickly rubbed his eye and smiled.

"Thanks." Genis grabbed Emil's hand in his. The moment their hands connected something unexpected happened…

Almost instantly I was blown away by some unknown force knocking me down to the ground. I immediately got up, but a second wave struck me right back. The pulsing waves of energy kept on going over and over. I could see trees' leaves rattling around, windows slammed by the force coming from the two. Weirdly enough nobody seemed to notice them, but the townspeople were trying to get away from us. I don't blame them. If we were indeed invisible to them, all that people could see was some violent wind and some kind of storm coming from our direction.

It took me a while, but I slowly crawled my way back to them. I slowly rose to my feet trying to avoid being knocked back again. When I finally got up I was met with a very scary sight. Emil and Genis were transfixed in some kind of spell or something. Their bodies floating a couple of inches from the ground. But still. Floating. Their eyes were white and their faces were very pale. Energy surged from their bodies and sparks jumped from the connection in their hands. All the while their bodies convulsed. I was scared.

Out of nowhere I felt someone tapping me from the back. When I turned I saw Lloyd yelling something to me. The wind and waves were so strong I couldn't understand a thing. I made signals with my hands telling him I couldn't hear him. I think he got my point -much faster than I expected, I must add- so he pointed at Genis and with his hands mimicked pulling him back. I nodded.

Gradually Lloyd made his way behind the floating Genis, while I did the same with Emil. By then people in the streets where all gone and the storm was getting bigger and much more dangerous. We knew we had to do it fast before this thing became a tornado or something. I looked back at Lloyd he nodded. Lloyd stretch his hands grabbing Genis by the waste, I mimicked him. We gave each other one last glance and then we pulled with all we got. The energy pulsing from them was dangerous I felt like my hands were burning. They smelled like that too. I closed my eyes pulling harder and harder. With one last tug Lloyd and I pulled them apart and with them the end of the strange weather. Emil and Genis just looked at us confused. And I even saw Genis demanding Lloyd to let him go.

"Wow! That was huge!" Lloyd yelped much too excited. Genis and Emil on the other hand looked at their surroundings quite jumbled. But didn't say anything.

"What was that?" I asked Emil, finally releasing him. He grabbed my arm and shook his head.

People started gathering again around the plaza. Lloyd motioned us to follow him, probably to avoid suspicions. Genis and Emil nodded following him. I sighed and did the same. "Genis! Emil! Jason! What just happen!"

"One moment I was looking for some paper and pencils." Lloyd gasped between breaths as we finally stopped to take a rest behind a house. "The next moment I see a huge pillar of light coming from your direction."

Emil and Genis shared a concerned look. Like they knew something. They seemed fine now, but I really thought they should get some medical attention. Of course, in this conditions it wasn't as if they could ask for it. Specially Emil. And Genis would probably just be treated like a nut job.

"I don't know." I mumbled. "Hey! Emil! Genis! Snap out of it!" I was getting tired of the silence. And a little worried. Mostly tired.

"I saw," Genis said quietly, stopping just for a second. "I saw a girl with long bristled hair…"

"I saw. Raine?" Emil pondered less taken than Genis. Still, really out of it. "She was reading a book? But you looked like a… and you were in Asgard…"

"Are you guys okay now?" Lloyd took off his glove and placed his hand on Genis's forehead. "You look a little pale."

"We are fine, I think." Genis grabbed Lloyd's hand and gave him a shaky smile. He seemed very disoriented. Lloyd and I looked between each other, but stayed quiet.

"Yeah, what about you, Jason?" Emil chuckled, looking more concerned about me. I didn't know how I looked to him, but to the very least I could see Lloyd now. He looked like a mess! His haired all ruffled and his clothes all dusty. It must have happened during the s _torm_.

"Me? I'm fine." I waved them off. Emil didn't seem quite convinced. But he said nothing. I silently thanked him. I then turned to Lloyd and asked, "so, what's the paper for?"

"The paper is for you guys to write on!" Lloyd's usual grin came back as he held a pen and pencil to our faces. "That way you guys can communicate with the Professor!"

"Do you honestly think that would work? I highly doubt it." Our personal ray of sunshine snorted, crossing his arms. It was good to see him go back to his usual self. Not.

"Yeah, honestly." Emil chuckled. Personally, I didn't think it was a bad idea.

"I'll give it a shot." I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean, what else are we supposed to do to communicate in this world?"

Genis looked at Emil. Emil sighed and looked back at Lloyd. He grinned. Defeated Genis and Emil closed their eyes and nodded. I took that little exchange as sign of agreement. I took the pencil and paper from Lloyd's hands and wrote the first thing that came to my mind.

" _Hello, I'm Jason. I'm from the future, nice meeting you. And I'm not a ghost."_

"Really? That's what you're writing?" Emil was already staring down my shoulder to read the paper. I could almost feel him breathing down my neck. I pushed him away.

"It's _so_ tacky." Genis grabbed the paper on his hands. "Like something Lloyd would come up with."

"Shut it Genis!" Lloyd took the paper from Genis. It was like hot potato. "O.k. let's try showing someone that paper! Maybe the professor!"

"Maybe _not_ Raine," Genis said, looking back at us. He seemed more concerned than suspicious, which was a nice change from his usual self. Or maybe he just didn't want to have any trouble with his sister.

"I agree," Emil said, standing next to Genis. Somehow, they'd just become instant friends. At least Emil acted the part. "It would be better to do it with someone who is more nonchalant about this kind of stuff! Maybe tell that person it's just a prank or game in case it doesn't work right!"

"Yeah, someone like Colette!" Lloyd snapped his fingers.

"Totally! Wait who's Colette?" I looked back at Lloyd. He winked back at me, grabbing me by the hand as he pulled me towards a random direction. I was being kidnapped.

"No! Definitely not!" Genis ran behind us before tripping not two steps away. "Not Colette! W-wait Lloyd! Stop it!" He winced with a bruised knee. Lloyd slowed down, but didn't stop. I saw Emil ran to Genis and help him out. My kidnapper sighed in relief and once again pulled me into full trot.

* * *

"Why are you pulling me, dude?" I growled, trying to get off his grasp. He was stronger than he looked. I was impressed.

"Isn't it obvious? That guy you are hanging with is such a worrywart!" Lloyd rolled his eyes and I couldn't help myself but to chuckle in agreement. "If he could he would not let you guys do anything or talk to anyone here! By the way, why can we guys see you?"

"Oh, that." I silently cursed my luck. "Well, it has something to do with our cloaking system malfunctioning when we fell from the sky. I mean, we are not only on the wrong time period but it seems our cloaking system is not working right and we cannot fully turn it on or off. And with our communication system also busted we are totally at the mercy of this world." My explanation wasn't foolproof but it'd do at the moment. I just hoped he didn't ask me _how_ it worked.

"Wow, that sucks." He slowed down a bit. "Wait, what is a cloaking system?" And apparently, I was giving the kid too much credit. There was nothing to worry about.

"Uhm," I had no idea myself what it was. But I continued my half-baked explanation like nothing. "It's a magic thingy or above that allows you to become invisible."

"Oh, but since it's not working properly some people can see you and so can monsters, right?" We made another turn on a crossroad. And I noticed we were now just walking at normal speed.

"Right." I smiled. God, he was making my job _so_ easy.

"Welp, good enough for me." Lloyd stop in front of a two-story wooden house with a pretty garden and a well. "Besides, we are here." He released my hand and walked towards the front door.

"Here where?" I joined him soon after.

"I told you before, Colette's!" He laughed. I stared back at him hoping he would tell me _who_ Colette was. He didn't. Instead, he knocked on the door and we waited. In complete silence.

"Oh. Hello, Lloyd, here to see Colette?" A blond man in his late thirties answered the door.

"Yes, Frank! Can I?" Lloyd politely bowed his head to the man. Frank, I think his name was.

"Yes, just hold on for a bit." The man walked off the door, leaving it slightly opened. "I'll call her right over!" We heard him say from within the house.

"Oh, by the way, Frank." Frank peeked his head out. Lloyd snatched the paper from me and showed it to him. "Do you notice anything special in this piece of paper?"

"Other than the fact that you materialized it out of thin air?" Frank smiled. "No. Nice magic trick, I bet Colette will love it!" The man walked further inside his house to the point we couldn't see him anymore.

"Damn, I was sure it would work." Lloyd growled looking really down. "At least the paper seemed to pop out of nowhere but he couldn't read the words in it." He held his head down. I patted his arm.

"Words? What words?" We were both surprised to see a blonde girl not older than Lloyd standing next to us. _"How long had she been standing there?"_

"Colette! Just the person I was looking for!" So, she was Colette. She was pretty, I'll admit. Nothing too terrible going on for her, but she did have a pretty face. And kind smile. A little flat and bubbly.

"Really?! I'm glad I can help!" She literally started clapping and laughing. She was such an airhead. "So, what can I do for you?" Then again, the kid I was with wasn't the smartest cookie in the cookie jar, if you know what I mean. I started to feel bad for the little brat and wondered how he became friends with them.

"Right." Lloyd walked closer to Colette, placing the paper on her hands.

Colette looked confused at the piece of paper. After a good five minutes, she handed it back to Lloyd, not before saying, "I don't understand what is the meaning of this, Lloyd?"

"Huh, I guess it didn't work?" Lloyd slowly walked away from her porch.

"What do you mean you are not a ghost? And who's Jason?" Lloyd immediately stopped on his tracks. I just stared back at her in surprise. "Oh, I know! Is this a new game? I love games!" How was _she_ able to contact us?

"Wait, what?!" The three of us turned to find Emil and Genis staring incredulously back at us. It seemed _I_ wasn't the only one confused.

* * *

"I see, so there are two people coming from the future here!" Colette chuckled and clasped her hands. "Oh, wow! That is so amazing!" God, she was _so_ blonde even for me. And _I_ was blond.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you!" She rushed to an empty corner of the garden. "Although I can't actually see you guys!"

"Uhm, Colette, they are the other way." Lloyd pointed at us and Emil waved his hand. Not like she could see us.

"Oops, sorry!" She pulled out her tongue and playfully knocked her head. She was _weird_.

"She's so pretty!" Emil sighed. I swear the guy was almost drooling for that chick. I'd think or at least hoped he had better taste than her. I mean, wasn't he supposed to be some kind of genius or something?

"So, she's your type, huh?" I rolled my eyes.

"No." He played with his fingers. "Maybe…"

"She can't see you, though." I shook my head dismissively. This wasn't the time or place for little Emil to play Romeo with a _fictional character_. "And, shouldn't we figure out what to do next?"

"True." He sighed. "Okay. But first, where are we going to sleep?" I realized he was right. We hadn't thought that far.

"At my house, of course!" Lloyd interrupted us walking towards us. It seemed he had finally finished explaining Colette everything that had happened until now.

"Were you listening to our conversation?" Emil was pissed. Really pissed.

"Not really, sorry." Lloyd blushed, looking to the side. "But yeah, you guys totally have to sleep somewhere! And tell me everything about the future!" Emil seemed less than happy about the idea.

"Lloyd," Genis interrupted walking side by side with Colette. "Even with all your space in your room you can't possibly host 2 people at your place."

"Yes, I can." He scoffed. "One of them can just share the barn with Noische."

"What?" Emil screamed. Now he was furious. He grabbed Lloyd by the collar and pulled him up close. "I. Am. Not. Sharing. A. Room. With. Noische."

"Geez, I never said you had to be the one to do it." Lloyd stammered, avoiding eye contact with Emil. "Jason could do it." My eyes widened.

"No," I said. For what I gathered Noishe lived in a barn. And I wasn't going to sleep in a barn.

Lloyd looked defeated and nodded. Emil let him go. "But we agreed that telling Raine would be a terrible idea, how would…"

"Simple." Genis interjected. "Emil can sleep at the school."

"What? Seriously?" Lloyd looked even more depressed now. He turned to Emil, probably hoping for someone to say no.

"I'm okay with it." Tough luck. Emil and Genis were more in sync than him and Lloyd. "No. Let me rephrase it, I hate the idea of sleeping on the floor of an old classroom. But I rather do that than sleep with an overgrown dog." Never mind, but at least they seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"Hey!" Lloyd growled. We all laughed.

"You got that right!" Genis snorted. It was nice. Sort of.

"What is going on?" Colette who had been silent all the while said interrupting our moment. Well, I didn't blame her she was only getting half of our conversation after all.

"Nothing to worry about, Colette." Lloyd smiled back at her. The girl blushed and nodded. Emil seemed pissed at the interaction. "Just figuring where our friends will be staying for the night."

" _Friends?_ " I stared back at Lloyd. "Still, don'ya think that it'd be simpler if we both slept in the classroom then?" The kid seemed hurt by my last comment. But it was true. We didn't know each other; how could we trust one another? The brat might have been taking it too far with his paranoia, but he had the right idea.

"Of course, not!" Lloyd pulled me into a hug. "I want to hear everything about the world, the future, the cities, everything!"

"Jason, just, just do what he says." Genis grabbed his temples and groaned. "Tell him _what he wants to hear_ , ok?"

"Got'cha!" It might have just been me but it almost seemed Genis told me to lie to him. I wasn't sure but that's what he wanted I nodded. "Sure, no problem."

"Well, then, for now we should be good, right?" Lloyd patted my back. He was a very easygoing kind of guy. "Well, let's go get something to eat then!"

Then again. Lloyd. My man. Love that guy.

"We can't," Emil said. I glared at him. I was starving!

"What do you mean, you can't?" Lloyd cocked his head.

"They mean," Genis stepped up between us, "if they suddenly did in fact came with us and ate with us it would look odd to have two extra plates and a floating spoon hanging around." It was weird. I was almost like Genis was now trying to protect us of something. Probably from revealing our secret or something. But it didn't make sense. He had to _know_ our secret to try and protect it, right?

"Oh. Didn't think of that." Lloyd scratched the back of his head.

"What about the classroom, then?" Blondie there interrupted us with one of her bubbly smiles. "I mean, isn't there where one of them is staying?"

"Colette, you're a genius!" Lloyd gasped. Emil nodded with a drooling smile. God, and they call _me_ the dumb one.

"Really? Oh, glad I could help!" She chuckled. I was getting diabetes.

"Ok, then let's make a plan!" Lloyd clasped his hands. "We should all gather enough food for all five of us, I'll get some blankets and pillows from my house…"

"I can get a futon from mine too!" Colette added, raising her hand.

"I guess then I'll be in charge of the food, huh?" Genis smiled and shook his head. He didn't seem against the idea, though.

"That sounds great! Genis's food is always the best!" Lloyd fist pump. Colette chuckled. Again. And Emil squealed like a little girl, jumping up and down.

"Did you hear that, Jason?" Emil latched to my arm, screaming. "Genis is cooking for us! Genis!"

"Yeah, I heard them loud and clear don't need to scream at my ear, you know." I pushed Emil away, covering my ears. His attitude was starting to get annoying. It was almost like he was enjoying the whole situation.

"Sorry," He apologized.

"But what's so special about his food, anyways?" I looked back at him slightly curious.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he whispered to my ear. Emil was such a nutcase, but he was kind of funny. In a weird kind of way.

"Well, see you guys in a bit!" Lloyd waved us goodbye. Soon Colette and Genis were gone too and we were left alone in the old school building. We sighed.

"Finally, they are gone!" I walked to one of the old stools and sat down. "Now you can start explaining me where exactly are we and what the hell is going on? "

'Are you sure they are gone now?' Emil still peeked outside from the window. I shook my head.

"Yes, I'm sure." I growled, stretching my legs. "Start explaining, now." He bit his lip, nodded and sat on the stool right next to mine.

* * *

Over the next forty-five minutes -which almost felt like 3 hours- Emil explained to me the overarching story of the game. He skipped a lot of details and characters telling me, _"there's just too much character development in each one of them."_ So, we agreed to limiting his explanation to the three kids we had just met. There was some angel stuff, tree of life thing and crazy mamma drama in there; but I wasn't really paying _that much_ attention. I got the gist of it, though. And I knew we had to help this girl Colette survive and reunify the two parallel worlds which we were currently in. It was insane!

Finally, I nodded. We were currently going over Lloyd's background story for the second time. There was just something about the kid. So, I raised my hand and asked, "So his mother…"

"She's dead, yes." Emil nodded a little sad.

"And his father?" I remembered him mentioning something about him being a traitor. Well, him and another guy whom he said was "just like me." Whatever that meant.

"We will meet him soon enough, correct." Emil seemed like a professor giving a lecture. And I couldn't avoid to chuckle. "It would be terrible if he could see us or sense us, just like Colette, though. Remember, he is one of the bad guys."

"Yeah, yeah." I waved him off. "I remember most of the stuff you told me. I feel you skipped a lot of information, though." I yawned, scratching my chest.

"What did you expect it's only being," he stopped looking down at his watch, "weird my watch isn't moving…? Anyways, it's probably being at least an hour since they left and only Colette's back."

I stretched my neck backwards to take a look at the blonde humming a song in front of a window. I was really surprised she had taken all that crazy talk so easily. I would have expected her to be more skeptical about it. Then again, it was _obvious_ she had a thing for Lloyd. Which had been confirmed by Emil's earlier explanation. I laughed. "Thank goodness she can't hear or see us, huh?"

"Yeah, Lloyd will probably take the longest time to get back since he has to cross the forest to get back from his house." Emil tap the stool's desk with his nails. He seemed really bored.

"How do you know all these things?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Or else the wait would become even worst.

"Meh." He shrugged his shoulders. "Huge fan, big time completionist."

"A what now?" I raised my brow. Emil really had a weird way of talking. Sometimes it felt like he was making fun of me.

"Don't worry about it." He yawned, turning his face to the empty board on the front of the room. "Though I am getting worried that Genis is taking that long. His house is not that far off from the school."

"Why don't we ask Colette?" I suggested, pointing at choir girl.

"How?" He looked at me like I was stupid or something. It pissed me off.

I wasn't just going to take his smug attitude. He acted like he was better than me. I'd show him. Looking around the room I noticed a piece of chalk laying on the teacher's desk. I grabbed it. Emil stared back at me with a look that said: _"it's not going to work."_ But I wasn't giving up. No, sir, I'd show him whose boss. So, I started writing on the board…

"Oh. Genis?" Colette immediately responded. I smirked back at Emil, he rolled his eyes. I'd won. "Yeah, he is kind of late isn't him?" Blondie chuckled, again. "I bet he's fine, but it would be good to check up on him."

I wrote the word 'you' on the board.

"You?" Colette lopped here head. "Oh, you mean, me! Yeah, of course! I'll be right back guys!" The girl ran out of the room chuckling. Then she felt on her face. Emil reached to help her, but she was already up. She laughed, mumbled an apology and left.

I blinked my eyes, walking closer to Emil. "Is she really this…"

"She is a very nice person and she has a _difficult_ journey ahead of her." Emil turned his head to face me. He was really serious. "I wouldn't wish the same fate to anyone else, Jason."

"You really are over protective of a bunch of ones and zeros." I knew what was going to happen to her, for the most part. But she wasn't _real_. "Besides, worrying about her won't take us back home, will it?"

"I guess not," He said. He didn't seem quite convinced when he said it.

"So? Got any brilliant ideas?" I tapped my feet. He clasped his hands together, pacing around the room.

"Well, this is purely a hypothesis, and it only works if we assumed what you said is true." He closed his eyes as he circled around the room.

"What do you mean?" I followed him.

"If this world is some kind of game and it hasn't _'started'_ yet," he lopped his head left and right as he continued, "we only have to _survive_ the ' _game'_ to its end and we should theoretically free to leave since there wouldn't be…" Emil suddenly stopped his explanation, opening his eyes. He seemed troubled.

"What? What is it?" I worriedly asked.

"Nothing." He bit his lip. "I just remember this game has two sequels one takes place two years after this one and the next one two or three thousand years in the future."

"What? You can't be serious!?" I yelled. He jumped in surprise. "Being stuck here for two thousand years?"

"If we live that long," he admitted. I was sure he was joking, but that joke only helped to make me madder.

"Oh, you think this is funny? Is this amusing to you?" I pinned Emil to the wall, placing my arm on his neck. He gasped. "Is this some kind of twisted joke to you?"

"N-No, I just thought that…" He struggled like he was in real pain. Sure, I was roughing him up a bit, but I knew my limits. I wasn't going to break his neck or anything. I just wanted him to understand I was serious. And I also wanted to punch that smug prick.

"What?!" I was mad. I tightened my grip on his neck pushing him a few inches off the floor. He kicked and wailed, tears running down his face. _"What a pushover…"_

"Hey." Someone knocked right behind us. I turned my face to meet with the rest of the gang. "Are we interrupting something?" I released Emil, he slumped to the ground. Genis handed over the pot he was carrying to blondie and ran towards Emil. Lloyd just stared at us with a horrified look on his face.

"No. Nothing at all." I waved it off, gaining a dirty look from Genis. "Right, Emil?" He didn't respond. He just laid there with Genis kneeling by his side.

Honestly, they were just overreacting. My friends and I in the team usually played like this. Lloyd placed the sheets, pillows and futons on the floor walking towards us. I sighed. I tried reaching for Emil, but he pulled away screaming. Everyone stopped what we were doing and stared back at him. He started crying loudly. Suddenly, Emil stood up from the ground grabbing his neck and rushed passed us.

"Hey wait a minute!" Lloyd successfully caught Emil by his arm.

"Get your dirty ass hands off me, you loser!" Emil sobbed enraged. He then punched Lloyd square on the face. Genis and I gasped.

"What the hell is your problem?" Lloyd touched his broken lip. A thin red line flowed down his face.

"You," Emil said. "You are the problem, Irving."

"No, you got it all wrong, Emil." I came to Lloyd's aid, pushing Emil back. "You are the problem."

Emil stammered, taking a couple of steps back. Lloyd tried to reach him again, Emil yelled. Pushing past me, he ran out of the classroom. "Hey wait a minute, Emil! It's dangerous to…" I grabbed Lloyd by the shoulder.

"Let him be," I told him, still mad at his childish reactions. "It's better that way."

"Maybe for you, but he might die out there with the monsters." Lloyd pushed me aside already walking to out of the room.

"Good riddance." I scoffed, seating in a stool.

"Fine, I'll go!" He yelled not looking back at me. Genis groaned, blocking the door.

"No, you're not." He extended his arms, glaring back at Lloyd.

"Genis, not you too." Lloyd stopped, crossing his arms.

"Of course, not." The brat lowered his arms, giving Lloyd a smile. " _I_ am going, _not_ you. For some reason, he seems to get triggered every time you speak to him. He will not come back if you come with me."

"But Genis, it's dangerous to go outside!" Lloyd begged his friend. He laughed.

"C'mon, give me some credit!" Genis gently put his hand on his arm. "I can take care of myself, ok?"

I could see Lloyd's shoulders drop and heard him sigh. "Ok," he said quietly.

"Good luck, Genis!" Colette cheered her friend, still standing next to the window.

"Thanks, Colette." Genis bowed his head and patted Lloyd's arm. "Please keep an eye on Lloyd if anything out of the ordinary happens, ok?"

"Oh, definitely!" Colette giggled. Lloyd blushed. Genis sighed walking out of the room. I was sick of them already. How many kids would I have to babysit with their drama? How would I get out of this place? Just being there waiting was a waste of time. I had to get some fresh air. I left the room, I think the dumb brunet said something, but I ignored it. I had to get out too.

* * *

Finally, I found a nice and comfortable step on the school's stairs. I sat. Closing my eyes, I could almost remember how I felt the first day of college. It had been a very busy moving day. I had met many new guys from the wrestling team and was even invited to party later that night. Life had been swell from day one.

Now? I was scared. Very scared. I didn't know what to do and I had to rely on a big crybaby to get back home? What the hell? How was that remotely fair to me? To any of us? I couldn't understand anything that was going on. If this was a nightmare, it was probably the worst nightmare I've ever had in my entire life. I sighed for the oomph time. I looked up at the clear night sky and closed my eyes. I hated the dark, I hated being alone, I hated not being in control. But most of all, I hated not knowing what was going on.

With my closed eyes, I heard steps closing on me. And then I heard someone say, "Everything alright?"

"Nope." I didn't bother opening my eyes, but I knew it was Lloyd. Couple seconds later I felt something sitting next to me.

"Wanna talk about it?" He yawned, I felt his body stretch next to me.

"Do I look like I want to talk about it?" I opened one of my eyes. He narrowed his eyes and frowned.

"You really have a chip on your shoulder, you know?" He shook his head, but didn't leave.

"Save it. He deserves it." I put a hand in front of his face, turning my head away from him. "He's the reason we're stuck here."

"Really? How?" Lloyd sounded genuinely concerned. He was so _stupid_. Why was he worrying about us? Besides, I didn't want _his_ company or anyone's for that matter.

"I don't know. I just know!" I snapped back again. I really wanted to be left alone, but he just kept coming back. "It's not a coincidence after all that he knows about this place! That he knows about you and your father." It was true! He knew everything! He knew them, he knew their future, sequels, motivations, cheats for the game, etc. It was no coincidence we were trapped in this game! It _had_ to be _his_ fault! Somebody had to pay for what I was going through! It just wasn't fair!

My family. My friends. My life. I'd lost it all…

"What about my father?" My eyes widened. I messed up.

"Nothing." I knew I should have said something. Made up some kind of lie. But I was just _so_ tired of everything. Everyone. And here this _fake_ came over and judged me? He had no idea what I've gone through. I made a fist with my hand and stood up. "Besides, who are you to interrogate me? I have nothing to explain to you, Irving."

"Actually, you do." Lloyd did the same and closed the distance between the two. He seemed just as mad as me. But if he thought for a second that he could scare me with his height, he was wrong. "Your friend avoids me like the plague, you seem to know something about my past that I don't. Oh, and let's not forget, you and your friend came crashing down from the sky."

"There are things far beyond yourself, Irving." I pushed Lloyd back. He slapped my hands away from his chest. "So, I'd advise you to suck it up I'm not telling you a single damn thing. If I didn't know better, I'd say you are acting quite paranoid. Worse than Genis, honest."

"Well, maybe he was right not to trust you." The kid growled, bumping his head with mine. He was trying to fright me. _"Cute."_

"Scary." I waved my hands, pushing him back with my own head. "Do you think we care? Do you think we need either of your help to survive?" I must have struck a nerve because he turned his face away and picked something from the ground.

"As a matter in fact, I do." He threw something large my way, I caught it. "Here," he said as he walked away.

"What is this?" I gave the object a better look. Or rather objects.

"Isn't it obvious? Some sheets, pillows and blankets." He snorted, crossing his arms. "Anyways, I'm heading back to my place since you obviously don't need _my_ help. I'll just go and get Colette back home." The kid yawned walking back inside the building.

"I suggest you go back to the school, it gets quite cold during the night. But what do I know, right?" He wailed his arms as he disappeared inside the school. I felt a stung of guilt and bit my lip.

"Wait, Irving!" I called. The kid poked his head out with a weary eyebrow. "Thank you, for everything. I mean it." He laughed.

"Anyways, I hope you can also patch things with Emil soon." He winked back at me. I rolled my eyes. "After all, I don't know what I would do without my best friend by myself."

I laughed really loud. "We are not _friends_."

'Yes, you are. Trust me," He said nonchalantly. "If you were taller and Emil was shorter and had longer white hair it would be like looking at each other in a mirror."

"Oh, please, you're not _that_ tall." It was weird, you know? We were at each other's throats a second ago. We didn't trust each other. Hell, I think we hated each other's guts. Still, this guy was trying to be _friends_.

"Taller than you," He retorted before leaving. God, that guy really made me lose it. Even more than the know-it-all brat. But still, he seemed to be an ok kid. He just hadn't learned how the _real_ world worked yet. But he'd soon have to learn. At least, that's what I thought…

* * *

"…son! Hey! Jason!" I felt someone shaking my body." Wake up!" I slowly opened my eyes and yawned.

"Oh, it's you two," I said with a tired smile. "I thought you would never come back."

"Have you been waiting for us out here all this time?" Emil looked quite embarrassed and he held a hand to me. I took it and rose.

"Yeah." I admitted, yawning. "I must have fallen asleep, sorry."

"No, listen, I'm sorry I left so abruptly." He scratched his cheek, looking away. Genis chuckled beside him, patting his back. I sighed. I felt really bad for earlier and I now noticed I had been a little bit of a jerk to Emil.

I patted his back too. Emil smiled back at me and nodded. I looked away from him embarrassed. "Thanks. Hey, let's go inside."

"By the way, where's Lloyd and Colette?" The brat, no, Genis asked me. He had been very quiet all this time and his face was considerably more relaxed. He seemed almost nice.

"Oh them? They left earlier." I explained him. He nodded, but didn't seem to mind his friends leaving behind. I supposed it was because -like Emil had said before- his house was relatively close to the school.

"Bummer." Emil snapped his fingers. "I had something I had to tell him."

"Don't sweat it, Emil." Genis waved it off and yawned. "You can always try tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're right." He smiled back at Genis and hugged him. "Thanks, Genis." The kid chuckled and hugged him back. It was weird.

Why and how much had he changed in the last few hours? Now he acted like he was our friend or something. And he even accepted Emil's chubby attitude. It was kind of gross.

"No problem." He patted Emil's back. They slowly released each other with a smile. "Anyways, I would love to stay here a little longer but if I don't hurry back home my sister will freak out. But at least I left that pot of stew, some plates and glasses, and some juice for you guys eat." He pointed back at the inside of the old school building.

"That is much more than we expected." I walked closer to the kid with a stretched hand. "Thanks again, Genis." The kid eyed my eye suspiciously for a second, eye rolled me and then smiled.

"Don't mention it." He shook hands with me. Then he turned towards the road and waved his hand. "Well, bye!"

"Bye!" Emil waved his hand furiously like it was the last time he'd see him. I chuckled at my partner's silly attitude.

"Later." I yawned. Slowly I turned to see Emil looking sadly at Genis's retreating body. "So…" I clasped my hands, catching his attention.

"So?" He cocked his head.

"It's just the two of us now, huh?" I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. Emil instantly looked away. He seemed very depressed.

"Yeah. I guess so." All the emotion from his body left him. He looked so weak and frail. "Our first night completely alone and far, _far away_ from _home_." He tried smiling like he was fine. But I could see it in his eyes. He was probably scared shitless the same way I was. Our first night away from our friends, our families, our world…

"At least we're together, right?" I nudged him. I wondered who I was really trying to cheer: him or me.

"Yeah. Yeah! You're right!" He looked up to the starry night sky and smiled. "Say, why don't we try that stew before it gets any colder?" He seemed in much better mood now. Maybe he just needed to know he wasn't completely alone. Maybe we weren't friends, but we were stuck in the exact same position. So I understood him.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" We laughed, walking inside the building.

The rest of the night was passed uneventfully, I guess. We weren't exactly best friends to begin with and I wasn't really the most pleasant person to hang out back then. But under the starry night and the soft murmur of the crickets outside the wooden windows of the old school we found peace. We slowly moved around the room trying to find the softest spot of wooden floor to lay our futons and sleep. Without much as a good night we both prepared our beds and went to sleep. Now I wish I had apologized to him at that time, but I didn't. Who knows, maybe things would've been different if I'd said something.

* * *

"Morning sunshine! Earth says hello!" I glared back at Emil still banging a ladle on yesterday's pot.

"What time is it?" I rubbed my eyes, yawning.

"I guess it's not really _Earth_ saying hello. _Aselia_ says hello?" He paced around the room folding the futons, placing the glasses together with the plates. He was a real busybody. "Anyways, it's almost seven and we better get everything packed up and hide it inside the bushes behind the school like Genis suggested." He commented as he placed the last sheet neatly folded on the pile he made near the room's entrance.

"Why? Can't we just leave this stuff and they'll fix them up later?" I pulled my sheets closer to my body.

"No." Emil rudely pulled my sheets away and started folding them. Leaving me cold in the room wearing only my trousers. "School starts in twenty give or take. Genis promised to keep his sister busy but he can't hold her for long. And Lloyd, well, his home is far away like I said. So, I think we can't really count on him helping us out this early." He stared at me for a second, shook his head and continued with his cleaning.

" _Yeah, besides after the way we left things before yesterday."_ I groaned, remembering more of what had happened yesterday. I gave myself two good slaps on the face and stood up. _"God, it'd be a miracle if he ever wanted to talk to me again."_

"Hey, Jason! Jason! Are you listening to me?" I nodded, scratching my chest. Emil seemed quite impatient. It's not like people could see anything we were touching; we'd learn that yesterday. "Grab that bottle and kettle I'll take the futons over I'll meet you outside."

"Sure." I waved him off, looking around for my tattered clothes. "Just let me finish getting dressed."

"I see you still like sleeping with your briefs only." Though he had noticed before, he pointed at me, placing a hand to his mouth. He cackled. "Gross, dude." It wasn't gross. I'm in perfect shape, thank you very much. It's probably more jealousy of my abs than anything. Or maybe just playful banter.

"Don't hate me, cuz you ain't me." I winked back at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Right. Remember 5 min." Emil started carrying stuff on his arms and walked closer to the exit. "Outside. Behind the school".

"Ok! Gosh, what's the rush?" I growled, putting on my shirt.

"Well, I don't know about you." He stopped, looking back at me with smirk. "But I for one, want to take a shower. Pronto." He laughed leaving me alone inside the room.

"Good point." I muttered to nobody in particular. A shower did sound amazing…

By the time, I was done changing clothes and packing the rest of the stuff laying on the floor around me I could see some movement going outside the school building. Hurriedly I picked everything up and pushed one of the windows leading to the backside of the school wide open. In a frenzy, I threw my backpack, kettle and bottle out of the window and without thinking twice jumped out as well. With a loud thud, I landed on the floor. I winced as I pulled myself up from the floor it seemed during my escape I had scraped my hand with one of the bushes.

"Don't worry they're not poisonous." I heard the sarcastic laugh of a certain albino kid walking closer to us.

"Are you ok, Jason?" I heard Emil rushing my way. I groaned and nodded.

"Yeah." Emil offered me his hand. I took it and groggily stood back up. "Mornin', Genis."

"Morning," He said. He gave me a long harsh look before laughing. "Wow. You look terrible."

"Tell me about it." Emil answered, scratching the back of his head. "I haven't taken a shower since… I dunno… two days ago, give or take?"

"I meant him, Emil." He pointed at me. I glared back. Remember when I said I was sort of warming up to the brat? Yeah, I take it back. He was still a dick.

"Oh, him. Right." Emil looked around embarrassed. "Whoops. Yeah, he needs a shower too. And some medical aid." He pointed at my scrapped knee and arm. I shrugged it off, but it still burned.

"Yeah, about that." Genis looked trouble back at us. "I think it's safe to say that Raine thinks I'm hiding something from her."

"Or someone. Well, two someone, technically." Emil pointed at the both of us. Genis smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. So, for now, I'll just wait for Lloyd to get his lazy self here and help me carry this stuff back to my house after school. I left my copy of the house key under the mat so you guys can get in and even left some hot water ready." He clasped his hands, taking a few steps away from us. "More like boiling water since I had to heat it really fast with my magic after Raine left the house. But you know, it won't be _that_ hot by the time you guys get there." Emil seemed pleased with the answer. I wasn't.

"Right," I sighed. We didn't have much of a choice, did we?

"More importantly, do you think it'll be enough for the both of us?" Emil gasped, looking quite troubled. I stared at him. Was he serious? Did it matter? A shower's a shower.

"Yeah, there's enough there for three people." He looked back at him confused. "But if you're that worried, you could always _share_ a bath." He wiggled his eyebrows. Emil glared back at him. I shook my head.

"Nope. _Niet_. No. Screw it!" Emil stepped all over my face. "I call dibs first!" He pointed at himself.

I glared back at him. "I'm the one who's injured."

"Your point? Remember the water is _scalding_ hot. You have an _open_ injury." He grabbed my hand pointing at my gash. "I think it'd be _wiser_ if I just _sacrificed_ myself and took the _first shower."_

"You just want the first shower." I yanked my arm away from him.

"Guilty as charged." He shrugged his shoulders unamused. "Still, you can't refute my last statement. You _know_ I'm right." He grinned back at me. He was right. Still a jerk. But right nonetheless.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a big mouth?" I punched him in the arm. He winced a bit, but smiled.

"Maybe." Emil rubbed his arm. I promise, I didn't hit him hard. "But never a lying one." He taunted me.

"God, in a different life you might've been a lawyer." I rolled my eyes. He was a cheeky one for someone so frail. Crazy, right?

"Aw. I love you too." He poked at my cheek and gave me a hug. I was both amused and terrified.

We were interrupted from our moment by someone coughing. We both looked up and saw Genis, now standing at the corner of the school. "If you guys are finished with your banter, I think you should get going the first bell is about to toll and I really need to get to class." He pointed with his head at the bell ringing above our heads. "But we need to talk later. Meet us at the town's gate around 3. Today we'll be having our meeting at Lloyd's."

"Ok," Emil said with a smile.

"Sure." I shrugged.

"Good. Ok. I need to go! Now!" The bell rang again and Genis darted away like a bullet. "Just make yourselves at home and eat what I left there for you!"

"Thanks again, Genis! Good luck in class today!" Emil waved back like he did yesterday. I noticed he was almost crying. What was it with him? He was acting like that kid's overprotective mother. And Genis responded quite well to that. Weird. But kind of sweet. _Kind of._

"Bye!" Genis laughed with a wide grin. It was the first time I'd actually seen that brat look actually happy. He entered the school while Emil watched him. Once he was out of sight from the outside he sighed. I patted his back, he turned to me and smiled. I told him it was time for us to leave, he nodded. And so, we made our slow trek to the kid's house.

* * *

"Ok. I'm done." I sighed relieved. It wasn't the fanciest bath I've ever taken before. But I was glad I could at least wash all the grim and mud off. "And you were right the bath was really hot. I did have to wait before I went in." I dumped my towel on his face.

"It's okay." He still gloated, throwing the towel back at me. We were so glad we had been able to at least open our bags long enough to take a new change of clothes out. I also got to get my deodorant and soap out. But after using them and putting them back inside, my bag instantly closed. I tried reopening, but it was of no use. It sucked.

"You want to say _I told you so_ , don't you?" I looked back at Emil who was currently sitting on the dining table eating.

"No. No. Meh, maybe. That doesn't matter, come." He motioned me with his hand, patting at the chair next to him. "I warmed up these sandwiches for you. And I got you this!" He placed some kind of candy on the table next to my plate.

"Red gummies?" I grabbed the candy in my hand. He laughed.

"Of course, not!" pulled one out of a small pouch he tied around his waist. "I mean, they do look like red gummies and smell strangely like apple cider and ribotosine."

"Gross." I placed the thing on the table cleaning my hands with my sleeves.

"But they are great against injuries, cuts, burns, dehydration, exhaustion…"

"Ok, ok! I get it!" I rolled my sleeve up uncovering my cut. I slowly grabbed the gel. I wasn't sure how much it'd hurt but I thought it I just put it on quickly it'd be easier to deal with the burn.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Emil grabbed me from my wrist, taking the gel from my hands.

"What now?" I looked at him annoyed.

"It's not a balm!" He said. _Balm, ointment, emulsion. Yeah, had to look for that word afterwards. But I wasn't about to tell him I didn't know that._ "It's more like a chewable pill." He squeezed gently on the gummy on his hand.

"Oh," I gave the thing a closer look, sniffing it. "And you're sure it's not poisonous to us or you know eatable?"

"Yes, it is." He gave me a thumb up, placing the thing on my hand. "I tried it on myself already."

"Did you, now?" I rose a weary eyebrow and snorted. It's not that I didn't trust he had tried it before. It was more of weather it would have some kind of side effect on us or if it worked on us. Besides, him? Doing something that reckless?

"Yes, I did. And I don't appreciate the sarcasm." Emil walked towards the kitchen's stove. "But if you don't believe me." He pulled his hand dangerously close to the fire burning. His hand shook.

"Dude what are you doing? Dude!" I stared in utter shock as Emil shut his eyes close. "Don't! Stop!" I screamed, but it was too late. The idiot placed his hand on the burning fire. He yelled at the top of his lungs and I froze in place. After a few seconds, he took his hand off the fire. I still couldn't move. He was crazy!

"God, why didn't you stop me?" He glared back at me. My eyes glued at the charred flesh of his hand. "Mother trucker! That hurt like a bitch!" I gasped. It was the first time I'd ever heard him swear. I didn't blame him, though. His hand was such a mess. I wanted to help earlier, but I couldn't.

"Hey, I tried to stop you." I stammered to say. I mean, I told him not to, right? "I really did," I said it more to myself than him.

"No, you really didn't." He growled with tears on his eyes. The pain was excruciating I could see it on his face, but he was trying to act tough. I didn't get why. "If you really wanted to stop me, you would have pushed me away from that stove. Now give me that gel!" He snatched the gel with his other hand and swallowed the whole thing whole in an instant.

"Like that would've helped." I crossed my arms offended. I did _try_ to help. I wasn't a coward. I just never thought he would go that far to make a point, I swear. "So, is it working?"

"Yeah, it's working." He still winced in pain. "Look at my hand." He stretched his injure hand in front of my face. At first I didn't notice anything, but after a few seconds I gasped in surprise.

"The burn! It's fading!" My eyes widened looking at the accelerate rate in which his hand was healing. His blackened hand and freshly open skin faded out. His tone of skin slowly changed back to his natural state. He smiled proudly at himself.

"And it doesn't hurt that much anymore." He tried closing his hand. He yelped, opening his hand again. "Scratch that. It still hurts when I close my hand."

"Idiot." I hugged him. I mean, I was mad at him. But I was so worried he just burned his hand. How stupid could he be? "Putting yourself on harm's way to make a point across."

"Well, did it work?" He looked down to meet my eyes. I hated being shorter than this walking twig.

"Yeah, it worked! See?" I took another piece of those gummies and chug it in. "Ugh, you were right! What is this taste? I can't get this off my mouth! Shit!" I felt like throwing up. The taste was disgusting! It tasted like burned hair, fish oil and spoiled apples.

"C'mon, it's not _that_ bad," He said not sounding too sure himself. I stared at him. "I mean, it's bad, pretty bad. But look Jason! Look at your scrapes!" I looked down at my arm and was met with a pleasant surprise. That is if I could just take that taste off my mouth!

"Yeah, they're gone. Whoopi doo." I looked around the kitchen's shelves. I just needed something strong to wash the taste away. "Is there any alcohol in this house? I need this taste off my mouth asap."

"No, Jason. There's no alcohol in this house." He looked at me offended. I glared back at him. "They don't drink alcohol in this house."

"There is some warm tea I made while you were showering, if that'll help." He pointed at the kettle sitting in the stove. I sighed.

"Better than nonthin'." I sat down on the table where my plate was set. "Come, give it to me." Emil smiled again, making his way to the cupboard.

"Sugar?" He asked serving the warm tea.

"Nah, I like it bitter." I answered, taking the first bite out my sandwich.

"Really? Who would have thought!" He rolled his eyes, placing the cup next to my plate. "Anyways, we don't have much time left before classes end and most importantly we better fix the house before we leave."

"Okay?" I muttered in between bites. Can a man get some piece while eating? At least until I could get that damn taste off my tongue?

"So, why don't you finish your tea and sandwich and afterwards help me clean the dishes?" He smiled, placing his plates under the faucet.

"What are _you_ going to do?" I glared back at him.

"Wash the tub and throw away the unused water?" He pointed towards the bathroom direction. I opened my mouth in understanding. He sighed, passing next to me. I caught his hand.

"Why don't _you_ wash the dishes and let me handle the bathroom?" He looked at me confused.

"Why you think I can't handle carrying the tub?" He growled back at me, but stopped. After a few seconds, he cocked his head and sighed, "Fair enough. How long will it take you to finish up?"

"Not much just give me a sec." I assured him. This time it seemed I did something right.

"Ok. Well, then I'm going to use the toilet while you finish." He said walking towards the exit door. I stared back at him. "It'll give you plenty of time."

"How come?" I asked.

"They only have a latrine outside." He pointed to the small backyard in the house.

"A what now?" I was again very much confused with his words. Why did he always use that kind of language? What did he have to prove? More importantly, did he even know the meaning of that many

"An outside pooper?" Apparently, he did. I was actually grateful this time around _not_ to know the meaning of that word. Latrine. _"Ewww."_

"I know what you're thinking and guess what? You're stuck with this too." He snorted as he opened the outside door. I shivered. "No internal water and drainage system in this planet. Except for Palmacosta. The capital of this planet." Well, there was still hope for this world, right? I mean how far could Palmacosta be from Iselia, really? _6,323 miles or 10,175 km if you go by the IMS._

"Yeah. Well, enjoy your lunch!" He gave me a weird smile. I gulped. "We have a long journey ahead of us."

 _Long journey, indeed._

* * *

"You ready?" I fastened my back pack safely on my back.

Emil groaned, locking Genis's house behind him. "Yes, you know I really thought I would enjoy this world, but I can't live in a world with no working toilet." He pouted, kicking the ground.

"Dude, it's not that bad. There's the outdoor toilet and the wooden tub." I shrugged with a smile. He still looked troubled for some reason, so I continued. "Warming water doesn't take _that_ long. And I don't really mind cold showers."

"Well, I do." He pouted, crossing his arms. He was such a child at heart. "Besides, you cannot seem to grasp the big picture here. We are _not_ staying in Iselia forever. Like I said, the story will start to unfold in two weeks' tops when Colette turns 16." He placed one of his hands on his hip, pointing at me with the other one.

"So?" I shook my head dismissively. Lloyd was right. Emil was such a worrywart.

"So? So? Jason, the first place we're going to travel to is a freaking desert!" Ok. Maybe he wasn't totally wrong about that. But it couldn't be _that_ bad. "No water, no showers, no nothing when we get there! Besides, do you have any idea how _long_ it'll take us to get there?" I take it back. We're in Hell. And I wanted out. _Now._

"Well, I don't, but you do." I closed my fists, trying to keep myself centered.

"No, I don't. Unless time really stops out of towns and we turn giant once we leave the village it might take us 20 minutes." He yelled, practically hyperventilating. This was bad. Emil, for better or worse, was my guide in this world. "But this is not a game, Jason. I cannot account for how long this journey will be! I'm freaking out, Jason!"

"Emil! Calm down, boss!" I slapped him hard enough I left a mark on his cheek. He stared back at me with his mouth wide open. Hey, at least he stopped screaming. "Listen, first things first, we meet with them and see what they want. We take each day as it comes and little by little come up with a way out of this place." I just couldn't afford having my guide freaking out on me. He needed to keep me alive, not the other way around.

"What about Tory?" Emil snapped back from his shock.

"We figure a way to contact her or something." I suggested. I mean, the important thing was for him to keep it together right now. "I dunno, maybe we find a way to fix our phones and call them."

"Come to think of it, have you noticed the time?" He pulled out his watch staring intently back at it. "It hasn't changed since we arrived here."

I looked back at mine as well. It still said 9:32 a.m. "I'd be damn, you're right."

"They could just not work here or something," I said tinkering with the glass. Emil stopped me.

"No. At least I don't think it's that. But for now, you're right." He sighed, scratching his arm. "Let's just focus on our chat with the guys and make sure we stay alive. I have a faint feeling there's no 'continue' option or extra lives in this world." He said in a dark tone.

"How come?" I asked a little too afraid of the answer.

"You know games like this? They have items that resurrect people, right?" I nodded. It was a lie, of course. I had no idea how this games worked. I'd never played any fantasy games in my life. "Ok, well, I went to the shop for a second after I finished things in the toilet and guess what?"

"No resurrection items?" I suggested. Emil grimly nodded.

"No elixirs, no life bottles, no nothing. This is it, Jason. We might have apple gels, lemon gels, miracle gels." The words coming from his mouth scared me like you have no idea. I had to accept this was our reality, but that also meant to admit we might die in this world. "But once we lose our pulse in this world we are dead. So even though this world is a _game_ our current situation is _not."_

 _Such an understatement. If only I'd known just how bad things could get in this world…_

"Way to rain on my party, again." I ruffled his hair, he growled. But he seemed to relax again. He smiled at me and I noticed two familiar faces coming up our way. "Anyways, act natural. Here they come."

"Hey guys!" Emil instinctively turned his face to the newcomers and waved at them.

"Hey how are you, Emil!" Lloyd rushed to his side, giving him a hand shake. "Jason." He eyed me suspiciously before offering me his hand. _"He's still mad. Great."_

"Listen, Lloyd I need to say something." Everyone turned to find a very embarrassed Emil fidget with his fingers.

"What is it?" Lloyd tilted his head, trying to make eye contact. Emil seemed to avoid it.

"If you guys want, Jason and I can leave." Genis suggested. Lloyd and I stared back at him confused, but Emil seemed to know what he was trying to do.

"No, no need for that." He chuckled and thanked him. "Lloyd, I'm sorry I snapped back at you yesterday. I know I'm usually not so short tempered or anything. I don't know what came over me. Well, I sort of know what happened to me."

"But after having someone knock some sense into me I realized my preconceptions of you are wrong." Genis chuckled and they both shared a knowingly smile. Seriously, when did they become best friends? "After all, I cannot judge the _current you_ for actions you haven't commit _yet._ "

I was really stunned by his honest apology I almost didn't realize what he had just said. But _he_ did. "Yet? You mean like in the fu…"

"A-Anyways, like I said before, I just want to bury the hatchet and give ourselves a fresh start." Emil interrupted Lloyd before he could go any further. "I want to _try_ and be your _friend_."

"Wow, Emil, that was so mature of you." Genis swoon over, wiggling his arms around. "Owning up to that and all."

"You think so?" Emil blushed. He was really star wracked.

"I don't think that was a compliment." I shook my head, holding down my laughter.

"I agree," Lloyd said, standing in front of Emil. "And thanks, Emil, I appreciate that. I really thought I had done something wrong, I felt terrible." Lloyd looked down to his feet.

"You did?" Emil was honestly surprised by the look of it. "I-I mean, I'm sorry about that." He rubbed his arm. Looking back at Lloyd, he sighed. In an instant Emil gave Lloyd a quick hug before releasing him. Lloyd and I stared shocked at Emil. Lloyd smiled. _"Is he blushing?"_ I wasn't sure.

"Well, with that out of the way and with Lloyd not sulking like a baby we can talk about our plan." Genis interrupted the moment with his good ol' fashion cyanide attitude. I almost cracked on the floor.

"Plan?" Emil looked at the two of them. Genis nodded with smile. Lloyd winked at him, giving him a thumb up. Seemed to me Emil was making friends faster than I. At least _I_ was getting used to this harsh world better than him. _"Sometimes, it's the little things. You take a win when you see one…"_

"So, what do you think?" Lloyd grinned at us at full force. He seemed really eager to have one of us sleeping over at his place. Made me wonder if he was some kind of sexual predator or something. Then again, they wouldn't make the main character of a teenage game a sexual predator, would they? "One of you stays at my house and the other one stays with Genis."

"I mean, sure, but where would the one staying with Genis would sleep?" Emil asked and I nodded. I hadn't thought about that.

"Yeah, probably on the floor or something. I'm certain the Professor wouldn't notice anything." Lloyd waved it off. It seemed they had already talked about it between the two. His confident answer seemed to do the trick and I could see Emil's shoulders relax a bit. "For the most part, anyways. She's been really busy studying Phaidra's textbooks and other relics in preparation for the Oracle."

"So, she either comes really late back home or not at all. Usually that'd be a bad thing. But in this situation, I think it's for the best." Genis joined in the conversation. Looking quite confident himself. Emil seemed to take it as a good signal. I worried I who was I going to wind up living with. "Besides, who knows if one of these nights she decides to check up on something in the school and where to find all of the stuff we borrowed."

"Ok. I can stay with Genis." Emil happily agreed to their plan without asking. Most importantly without asking _me_ who'd I want to stay with. I mean, the options weren't too pleasant either way. On one hand, there was the smug brat and in the other one we had an idiot.

"Are you sure?" He pleaded Emil. I felt seriously offended. This imbecile didn't want me at his house. What? He thought he was better than me or something? "I mean, if you stayed with me you'd virtually have your own room and I wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor, Emil."

"Yeah, but that would mean crossing the forest every twice a day. Everyday." He shook his head.

" _Get burned, bitch! Ha! Ain't nobody wanna live with you!"_ I inwardly smiled.

"It's just a 20-minute walk." He fought back.

" _C'mon, Emil. You have to win this for me, baby."_ I was silently cheering for Emil to win the discussion. Full fledge dressed up, pom-pom cheerleader dress on. Inside my head, of course.

"The woods are infested with monsters," he retorted with a straight face. Lloyd seemed almost defeated, but not quite yet.

"I'd protect you from any harm." Emil stared, eyes wide open, back at Lloyd. He took a couple of steps away from him. Genis too seemed very weirded out at his friend's choice of words. I just thought maybe I was right all along and I wasn't going to spend a night in the same room as a sexual predator.

"No, thanks." He awkwardly chuckled, moving closer to Genis. It was kind of funny. Since, you know, he's a little kid and a tall 20-year-old man was trying to use him as a shield. "I'm good here."

"And what about me?" I interrupted. I wasn't going to share a room with that creep. "I've got no say on this?" Honestly! Was I painted? Perhaps a part of the background?

"Do you want to stay with Genis? Cramped in a room with two other people?" I saw that look on Emil's face. He was putting once again his diplomatic face on and was going to try and sweet talk his way out of this. "Besides, don't you want to test your skills?"

"My skills?" What was his angle? Regardless of his angle, I wasn't going to let him win.

"Of course, if you two were to live together it would give both of you ample time to train." Wait a minute. When did this become training camp? "Lloyd could teach Jason the art of swordsmanship and Jason cold teach Lloyd hand-to-hand combat."

"That's…. actually not a bad idea." Lloyd thought for a moment. He seemed hesitant and I _really_ wanted him to say no. But _logically_ it made sense for us to share a room together. Ugh, I hated Emil.

"But…?" Genis stared back at me. It almost seemed he could read my thoughts. But I couldn't just tell them that Lloyd and I _hated_ each other. At least I did.

"Is there a problem between you two that we should know?" Emil seconded, crossing his arms.

I looked back at Lloyd who shook his head with a broad smile. All too happy to please Emil. I swallowed my pride and waved their worries off. They looked between each other and then they nodded. We had a plan now. It's funny now to look back at the _me_ from back then. So proud. So paranoid of opening up to others and being honest with myself. Still, it was my fault. Nobody else's. I should've know better. _Our_ actions -or rather, inactions- that morning were the beginning of _our_ end and the true catalyst to the series of tragedies to come.


End file.
